Much Ado About Lipstick

On the eve of 9/11, the presidential campaign took on a new low of irrelevance with Republicans scoring points (and the media helping) by taking totally out of context a comment by Democratic nominee Barack Obama. Substantive issues were missing from the conversation about lipstick on a pig and other non-issues, and Democrats are trying to figure out how to respond. Is the race over?

David Broder thinks not. In his column this morning he says that "an exaggerated optimism has swept through Republican ranks and an equally exaggerated gloom has infected the Democrats."

Judging from our reader comments today, Republican-sounding writers are indeed optimistic and Democratic-sounding writers sound a bit discouraged. Several suggest Obama needs to find a more effective way to fight back.

We'll start with comments on the story by Jonathan Weisman and Peter Slevin, who wrote, "McCain allies think they have succeeded in knocking Obama on his heels" and "Obama aides say the assaults will not work, arguing that all of the accusations against him are a reach, if not fabrications."

protagoras, who asked, "...What is the McCain energy plan? What is the McCain healthcare plan. Will what's her name be able to manage the senate?... It's not so much that McCain has out maneuvered Obama--they really haven't engaged yet. It's as if the GOP had out maneuvered the press."

bdunn1 wrote, "Told of a new Bush ad smearing him in 2000, John McCain... said, "They know no depths, do they? They know no depths." Later, in his concession speech... after the South Carolina primary, McCain said, "I want the presidency in the best way, not the worst way." I guess that was the old McCain, who put honor first."

DogBitez said, "What has happened to the American media? It's gutless. It sees wrong-doing, it knows that blatant lies are being told... and yet it doesn't have the courage to call a lie a lie... And here we go again... the media is going to look the other way as the McCain camp serves up one load of B.S. after another..."

kevin_m_clay@yahoo.com wrote, "John McCain's outrage regarding the lipstick episode is more a flop (basketball's fake foul). Rather than talk about the issues of the economy, the two wars, and the energy crisis, He uses the flop; a diversion."

But Smith22039 said, "I cannot believe the meltdown from the left wingers!!! Time to tune in to reality. Obama is an extreme liberal who cannot win. Hillary tried to tell you that. Thankfully, her message was jammed by your tin foil hats."

phughez wrote, "The current lack of respect for the real issues facing our country and the world in the battle for the White House, especially on the Republican side, bodes poorly for our "mighty" little nation. No doubt Obama would bring more dignity to the office of the presidency, yet the negativity on the Right has hit an all time high."

lynnellingw said, "I am hoping that this will finally be the end for Barack Obama and his obnoxious followers. I am so tired of this candidate who is a creation of mainly marketing."

leochen24551 wrote, "I'm a John McCain supporter... Becoming the next President doesn't come from clean politics or clean campaigns... Complaining suggests that you don't have what it takes to win. Whiners and complainers never look good, regardless of their merit..."

CM1515 said, "I haven't seen such desperation coming from the left in a long time. How refreshing."

LetstalkISSUES wished, "...Let's hope the presidential campaign can reflect some dignity and actually tell us where each candidate stands on the things that really need to be addressed at this time in our country to keep us the top world power."

In comments on the Broder column, wickiser wrote, "I believe the Republican convention bump has peaked. Palin in the very near future must either answer questions in a open forum & from both sides of the spectrum or be viewed as a puppet whose only qualification is looks and the "hockey mom vote"..."

RegisUrgel said, "...There is still reasonable time for things to turn around. But Obama better be sure he won't win if he can't give several solid punches and hit hard."

yarbrougharts wrote, "Yeah, it's too early to call. Obama will always have the potential numbers advantage, and McCain will always have potential fear-mongering advantage... It's not too late, but time is ticking And I agree, the debates will be super-important."

jamesatkinson1 said, "Come off it David Broder the race by McCain to the White House is all over bar the shouting from the Democrats."

peep1935 wrote, "The Palin bump is only that. She is still on her 'honeymoon' McCain sadly to say is at this time being led in the polls only by riding in on her skirt and holding her hand... I'm so disappointed in my War Hero I could cry. He has gone from hero to jerk in my eyes."

AffinityGW1 said, "The Straight Talk Express has been converted to a manure spreader."

We'll close with gluss, who wrote, "thank you for at least your voice of sanity in the midst of the media wrought insanity"

To Whoever:
I am sorry, I found couple of grammatic mistakes in my previous comment, but I hope, you will forgive it, since you are very intelligent. Don't be so snobish, because your Vise President Mr. Biden making even more mistakes in his speeches.
Sincerely, Alek

To Whoever:
I think, because you so bright, you may tell me how to discern real issues from left wingers speaches and "make judgement on them". Whatever they do, whatever they say, doesn't have any sence. If you, whoever, start to think with your "intelligent" mind about your comments, you will find yourself even more stupid, than anybody else on that webpage.
Read your comments and see is it any bit of intelligence and common sence in it? What did you really wanted to say with exception of insoult other people? So, sleep well, you allowed to vote anyway, so, Democratic Party will be glad to have you as one of the best voters.

What's so bright about calling yourself a pit-bull in lipstick? As far as the Republican's running around higgledy-piggledy chasing their own tails, it's not surprising that people would notice and comment on it.

There's a rather nice expression in German you might find amusing to add to your collection of folk sayings. Those who get excited very easily by someone new are said to jump up and down every time a pig is driven through the village. I think that more or less sums up the, dare I say, cult-like following that Ma Palin inspires.

It's quite easy to see that the Governess of Alaska has very little to recommend her for the job of Vice President. Her knowledge of Poitics, History and even Georgraphy seems pretty thin, Alaska a stone's throw from Russia? I see today she is broadening her horizons with a visit to "Lebanon". Another foreign country she can add to her list, even if it is in Ohio.

Bottom Line: It all boils down to INTENTION. Obama knew EXACTLY what he was saying. In fact It sounded more like a cute slick Reverend Wrightism than anything else...using known phrases like "chickens coming home to roost" to dig at people you strongly dislike. And Obama, by his own admission has been heavily inspired by 20 years of Wrightisms..."Audacity of Hope" anyone?

The real question is why Obama dislikes Palin so much and why does he refer to her as a PIG? The answer is very simple. Palin stole Obama's thunder right from under him. That Mile High 80,000 fan Parthenon Hollywood production complete with an Oprah crying on cue was reduced to rubble the next day at a small sporting goods store in Ohio. Palin, in Obama's arrogant mind, hogged what was supposed to be his….Millions of adoring newly converted believers ready to follow him across the real Bridge to Nowhere.

To Alek
To Whoever:
Yes I am calling people like you stupid, couse I know what is Communism in reality. That what is the difference between us. I think, that you know everything, but when it comes to real life you just absolute zero, like your idol Obama. You refuse to sign your real name, because you are not "whoever", you "whatever".

Again, I asked to read your comment above and ask whether you are qualified to call anyone else stupid? Again, you are merely proving yourself to be stupid. I called you stupid because of your lack of intelligence, and not your political affiliation. You are clearly demonstrating that you should not be allowed a vote either way, because you clearly seem unable to discern the real issues and make judgments on them.

To Whoever:
Yes I am calling people like you stupid, couse I know what is Communism in reality. That what is the difference between us. I think, that you know everything, but when it comes to real life you just absolute zero, like your idol Obama. You refuse to sign your real name, because you are not "whoever", you "whatever".

Bottom line is that McCain and Palin are not qualified to do anything. They are always saying change, but I do see that the policies they advocate are any different from Bush's.

As for Georgia and the Ukraine in Nato, that is up to Nato and those countries. However, for a US client state like Georgia to go around starting wars and then getting a billion in foreign aid from Bushco is pretty stupid. More money down the toilet in a feeble attempt to make McCain look like the "security" presient. I'm tired of my tax money being used to support and promote corrupt politicians.

As for the liberal media, could some one show me a liberal TV station, magazine, or newspaper in this country? They all strike me as giving McCain a free ride; otherwise, why are still listen to this drivel about pigs and lipstick, bogus "security" issues, and not the economy, healthcare, Iraq or any issue of real significance to the American citizen.

I want a war with Russia. Why? So all the evangelical and Borned Again Christian can get their wish of seeing heaven but not being in Heaven. They will be hell for for eternity for seeing a glimpse of heaven within grasp. God not going to let some elitest Religious Nuts go to heaven where they disrespect other people who think and act differently. I can imagine Evangelical and Born Again trying to tell God and Jesus on how to oversee heaven.

"Palin says take in the Ukraine and Georgia into NATO, even though Russia says it would be an act of war for the Ukraine to join NATO."

Are you saying that Russia should be permitted to dictate the alliances of other sovereign countries? How would it be an act of war for Ukraine to join NATO? In your opinion, is our President supposed to take his political cues from Moscow?

"I QUOTE "GOP Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin said today the Ukraine and Georgia should join NATO, even at the risk of antagonizing Russia and forcing the United States into a war with the nuclear-armed nation"."

Why is that wrong? Or do you think Russia should retain veto power over its neighbors and every other country in the world, just because it has nuclear arms?

Is the rest of the world supposed to hide in the closet so it doesn't risk "antagonizing Russia?"

"So Obama needs to be sure he only uses idioms that are universally known. Huh?"

Obama called Palin a pig on purpose, so that point is moot. If you believe it was a coincidence that his "pig in lipstick" came days after her "pit bull in lipstick" then I've got a nice bridge to sell you.

"I don't know what cave you have been living in,"

Like most Obama supporters, you're clearly incapable of making an ad rem argument. It's as if you believe that emptying your diaper on the opposition is going to convince them.

As for your "cave", I am a newspaper reporter. My cave is a newsroom at a major metropolitan paper.

"that you don't think this country cares or is not involved with other countries politics. Would you like a list? I might not like it, but thats the way it is."

To the extent we have tried to dictate other countries' politics in the past it is a disgrace. And it makes no sense at all to first poll other countries -- so they can offer their self-serving input -- before we decide who is going to be our national leader.

I think the religious right should all move south, lets say Georgia. They could have Alabama,Mississippi,Lousianna (except Nola and they would not want it anyway),Arkansas,Texas (except Austen)and hell, why not throw in Alaska. I know it is far from the south, but hey, 80% of them are happy with thier choice...oops bad word. Anyway, back to my fantasy. they could secede. They could frolic and play knowing that everything is in Gods hands. They could teach the bible in schools, say no to science and sex ed. Nobody could make a mistake because it would all be Gods will. Yes, they could play with all kinds of guns,hell they could fly over thier land with guns ablazing, shooting any critter they wish (there is no endangered species here). No worries about huricanes because as we know, Nola was hit because of Gods wrath. So they will be safe. No need for those pesky hospitals, when all one needs to do is get a good 'ol fashion laying on of the hands. They could have McCain and Palin as thier leaders. Thier flag could have a union jack and a cross. Jesus would like that. We would stay mainly to the north. We would have to go to school and learn hard things like science,history. We would have to build hospitals because we just don't have good hands. our leaders would be Obama and Biden. We would be "wild eyed liberals". there would be no more name calling because we would all have what we want. We would have endangered animals,global warming,poverty and war and would take care of these things much more efficently,because god gave us the brains and freewill.

So Obama needs to be sure he only uses idioms that are universally known. Huh?
I don't know what cave you have been living in, that you don't think this country cares or is not involved with other countries politics. Would you like a list? I might not like it, but thats the way it is.

Liberals:
More I am listening you, more I want to through up. Michael Savage is absolutely right - LIBERALISM IS A MENTAL DISORDER.
You can say ten thousand times: Vote for Obama, but he never going to win, never ever. With all liberal media on his side, making his image looks good - He is still nobody and his name is Zero. You can bite yourself whatever part of your body, but bottom line is you are all loosers who don't deserve even right to vote because of your stupidity.

"More I am listening you, more I want to through up."
And you're calling other people stupid!!!!
Stupid is as stupid does.

Palin says take in the Ukraine and Georgia into NATO, even though Russia says it would be an act of war for the Ukraine to join NATO.
Palin says, if Russia invades Georgia after we take Georgia into NATO she will go to war with Russia.

REGISTER, and VOTE ABSENTEE.
End the reign of terror of the fundamentalists seeking Armageddon. Its subconsious.
They WANT it. DONT GIVE PALIN 1 SECOND WITH THE POWER TO MAKE WAR.

lipstick had its 15 minutes. PALIN has given an interview.
She is ready to go to war vs Russia to save the 7,000 Georgians from the Iranian majority in South Ossetia!!
Yep.
I QUOTE "GOP Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin said today the Ukraine and Georgia should join NATO, even at the risk of antagonizing Russia and forcing the United States into a war with the nuclear-armed nation".

I'd like half of you to go back and read your posts. Given that you seem to be lacking a basic grasp of your own language would suggest you're lacking the mental capacity to consider the full range of issues and make an appropriate judgments on the best candidate or party.

The original point of the article was to emphasize the ridiculous name calling that politics has reduced itself to, and now you're all jumping on the same band wagon doing the same thing!!!

Give me strength - the mess we're in is because of your own stupidity and hypocrisy!!

I would agree that, for the most part, earmark spending has not been good for the country at large, but I find the Rovian race-to-the-bottom politics that McCain has been engaged in to be far more insidious, as it literally pits rural and urban Americans against one another in a lasting, hateful way. To my thinking, if McCain had real intentions to clean up politics, he would have begun at home and ran the honorable campaign that he promised. McCain complained about Bush's vile smears in 2000 that "they know no depths" but he sees fit this go around to make full use of the Rove playbook. Is there any wonder that McCain cannot define "honor" to a reporter. Sad.

I just saw McCain's interview tonight and thought he did exceptionally well.
I saw Palin earlier and thought she did very well.
I am very sorry to hear of Obama's problem with some sort of disorder that makes him say whatever stray words and thoughts. Is this ADD or some other syndrome? I hope if he gets elected president, he doesn't call anybody important a pig because it might cause a war or something.

The ground on the site of the twin towers is NOT sacred you moron. It is an empty lot that two building once sat. Get over it. You have killed more innocent people since that incident than they ever did. Move on you bunch of flag waving loosers.

McCain is a old freakin man 70 some years old. OMG, are you that desparate? He cannot even lift his arms up. Enough of the war hero crap, he sucked at his job and was captured. Sam's comment could not be more true. You voted Idiot Bush in for a second term and now your going to Vote another Republican in? Absolute Stupidity. Thats the American way. Your collapsing in onto yourselves. Here is Obama offering honest change and something different. Wake up America.

Liberals:
More I am listening you, more I want to through up. Michael Savage is absolutely right - LIBERALISM IS A MENTAL DISORDER.
You can say ten thousand times: Vote for Obama, but he never going to win, never ever. With all liberal media on his side, making his image looks good - He is still nobody and his name is Zero. You can bite yourself whatever part of your body, but bottom line is you are all loosers who don't deserve even right to vote because of your stupidity.

Quote;
Democrats: have you forgotten Michelle Obama's "I hate my country" comment? As a couple the Obamas don't love our country; furthermore democrats, you are supporting the first Muslim born man for president:
BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA was born to a Muslim family and by Muslim rules his "conversion" to the Rev. Wright's Trinity Christian Church at age 24? is forbidden by the Koran. He and Michelle are closet Muslims.

Posted by: Mariah | September 11, 2008 1:57 PM

It's idiots like you who should not be allowed to vote. Until you are capable of understand facts and making a reasonable choice based on those facts, be quiet!!!

This is real life politics, this is not a game. If we want to translate the situation, it would be like this; McCain and Palin are bihind the fence and bullying Obama and Biden. But, when Gates get open or Obama jumps the fence, McCain will run away. I can't wait to see debate between these two. McCain and Palin are hiding something from all of us and are hopping they can hide it until after the elections. The media is working hard to find the reason why McCain picked Palin ver other experienced republican governors and there is over 20 of them.

I as a black man, feel that there are some morons in the Obama camp! they seem to feel tjhat they can rest on their morals!

McCain was waiting in the wings to pounce after Obama picked his running mate.

I beleive that three heads are better than
1.5 heads...depending on how you look at it; when you look at experience, I will assume Obama is a 1.5 and when it comes to Change,Biden is a 1.5% after 30yrs what doesObiden know about change; Now lets get back to three heads....Obama,Bill and Hillary would have held off the Pign lipstick, McCain Poly Grip onslaght!

The Buppy, Yuppy, Buppy team may be good at raising money on the internet...but they have alot to learn about Politics!
Obama role up your sleeves and get to the issues! You are so busy fighting off your public remarks that you cannot get out of the political Muck...Obama, you need to put a swift kick under the pants of your dream team!

OMG! Are you the trailer park guy? Or are you assuming the south is all trailer parks? Oh, and I guess the U.S. should not have any say in how the rest of the world votes right? Just to let you know, I am female.

Sorry, Gimpel, but the rest of the world doesn't get to tell us how to cast our votes. That would be a sorry state of affairs -- even if YOU don't think so.

"We sit on a whopping 4% percent of the worlds oil reserves. Oh, and this should make you happy, most of our oil,(19%) comes from ..Canada."

May as well use up their oil and save our own, right?

"We are by far the worlds biggest consumers and opec controls 70%, but screw them all.'

You -- on the other hand -- would let them dictate the outcome of our elections? That would be better? Your lips must be sore and chapped from kissing all that foreign butt.

(snip undecipherable crap)

"look around and check to make sure you don't have anything that says "Made in China", because I know a red blooded American, such as your self, would not want anything from those commie pinkos.'

Just about everything on my desk was manufactured elsewhere. The same with everything in my closet. That's not a good thing.

"You live in New England? I think I hear someone calling you, and it has a deep southern accent. Go to your people. And secede. I will try to talk my people in letting you go."

Hey, it's turkeys like you -- who paste hair on their chests by consigning people they disagree with to trailer parks -- who are threatening to go to Canada if Mister Wonderful loses. And that would be a good thing. Because America has no place for sneery jerks who can't deal with dissent in an appropriate fashion.

No Einstein we do not need the rest of the world. We sit on a whopping 4% percent of the worlds oil reserves. Oh, and this should make you happy, most of our oil,(19%) comes from ..Canada. We are by far the worlds biggest consumers and opec controls 70%, but screw them all. Oh and they should not bother with airport security or sleeper cells (even if they have cought more than us)because we can take care of our own. And while you are at it, look around and check to make sure you don't have anything that says "Made in China", because I know a red blooded American, such as your self, would not want anything from those commie pinkos.
You live in New England? I think I hear someone calling you, and it has a deep southern accent. Go to your people. And secede. I will try to talk my people in letting you go.

It's time for the gloves to come off. Barack doesn't have to sling mud to be able to put up a fight. Start challenging McCain harder on the issues. Don't just ask him about things during stump speeches and ads, tell him what you think about his policies. We want to see a Barack who's fired up and ready to take the fight to the people who have been kicking sand in his face the entire time. We need someone who is ready to throw down the gauntlet of challenge for things we care about, mainly the issues. You can't tiptoe around him anymore. You need to prove to us why you're the best guy for the job.

McCain talks all this stuff about pork, but Alaska receives more per-capita federal money for pet projects than anywhere else. Palin is the governor of Alaska, but we haven't seen any big cutbacks in the nearly $200 of federal money allotment per person in Alaska (compare that to $25 for Illinois).

The only part that discourages me is listening to the whole speech by Obama, he didn't mean to say Palin was the pig... that's too bad. Good thing the Republicans chose to impose that label on themselves by spinning it, it makes perfect sense.

HAving read all these comments, one ought to ask:
With such "debiles" for the voting public, can ANYTHING good come from the US elections? Ever?

This endless empty moronic patriotism is nauseating. Americans' ignorance and arrogance is breathtaking.

And to all the idiots who think that the world rotates around the US - you're many years out of date. Also, if the world
rotates around the US, it SHOULD be able to have a voice in your elections. You can dictate to everyone but don't like it when someone tells you how to vote. What are you, some kind of a Master Race?

Truth is, you're stupid, arrogant, selfish, greedy, fat, under-educated,
insincere SOB's with artificial smiles, despised by most of the world. Where do you suppose the concept of the "Ugly American" came from?
As to your power and prosperity - don't make us laugh. You can annihilate a foreign country in a day but you can't provide decent education and health insurance to tens of millions of your own children.

The world has passed you by while you were sleeping under the Republican regime (or was it shopping?). Another 10 years of the same attitude and you'll simply become irrelevant, like a global village idiot with a big stick.

Hey folks -- it's the same old GOP distraction strategy, and it's working. No one is talking issues -- what is being talked about is teleprompters and lipstick, which mean nothing when it comes to the economy.

Obama has outlines his plans in many areas -- check his website. McCain can't do that because he has no plans other than being Bush III.

Same old nonsense from the same old corrupt bunch of greedy, big-gov parasites.

The Republican deceit machine is in full force with McPalin!
I know the folks who have fallen for McPalin are good people at heart and don't mean to be contributing to the problem by continuing to be duped by the worst of the worst. We need a communicator - not a manipulator! The Sarah McRove manipulators will not lie their way into this one, but it's up to us to make sure they don't have the chance. Register to vote and make sure it's OBAMA who wins - to much is at stake!

Sarge of Marines:
Did they teach you to lie like a Republican in the Marines? Let's say you actually did find WMDs in the desert. The Bush whackers would have been all over this because they were getting so much grief over not finding any. Where was the press conference with Bushie flying in a jet to the cache site with big "mission accomplished" banners and kissable babies? Where's the "I told you so," from the administration? Unless Bush is holding onto this info to drop it right before the election to tilt it, you are full of crap. How dumb do you think we really are? I am starting to wonder if you are really even in the military.

Just one?? That guy had a helluva nerve telling us what we ought to do.

"That means only a few more to go and everyone will hate our arrogance."

They hate us for our prosperity and our power. We'd be considered "arrogant" if we told them how to vote.

"Shall we go for a clean sweep? We're American and proud of it. The world rotates around the US. We don't even need out neighbors. Wet backs, Snow backs?? They are all illegals. Seal the borders!!"

Is that what you think?

"Don't mess with the US!!!!
But could ya'll please lower the price of oil? Thanks, appreciate your help."

We've got plenty of oil sitting there in places like Alaska. We don't have to go kissing butt, electing people with no experience just to get a bargain. People in Europe have been paying lots more for oil than we have for decades now.

Once upon a time in a place called Texas. Now this is and was a place that had open range. Ranchers branded thier cattle so they knew who owned witch one.
One day a man moved to this great state and decided he would not brand his cattle.
This may have seemed like he was being a very kind man, but in fact he did it so he could claim all unbranded cattle as his own. This mans name? Maverick.

In a mature country this kind of manipulative "outrage" playacting would be brushed aside in a day or two at most. But in 21st century America it goes on and on, and we know that the genuine issues--energy policy, economic policy, trade policy, immigration policy--will NEVER be raised or discussed by the American media, which is as completely broken as your gerrymandered political system.

Congress has an approval rate of less than 10% and yet over 90% of congressional seats are considered "safe" for the incumbent. This is a result of political control of district boundaries, and means that most people in Congress are representing the interests of their party, NOT the people in their district. Try THAT on if you need something to be outraged about.

'Would Obama dump Biden for Hillary? So he could hold on to her skirt? Hahahaha"

I would hope that if Obama tried that tactic, that Hillary would tell him exactly where he could stuff it. Why should she be blamed when that ticket goes down in flames? Let Mister Wonderful lose the election all by hisself.

"To date, Obama has not once played the race card. He has been very careful about that."

You're joking, right? They started playing the race card when Bill Shaheen brought up Obama's drug use. Then those embarrassing leaked Democratic "talking points" -- which included how to play the race card -- were brought to light during one of the debates. IIRC, Obama apologized and then repudiated them.

"""If McCain is a Maverick & Independant, Why is he running as a Republican? ..... GET REAL! You can't get past the color of the Man's skin! White Men have put on the skirt to hide their true feelings, I think not! You now wear the attire that suits you the most! WHIMPS!!!!"""

You have got to be kidding!! I will NOT vote for Obama, ever, not even if he was the only candidate. I would write in "Micky Mouse" first. This is because he is an EXTREME LEFT WING LIBERAL. Paint his face white and he'll still be a LIBERAL. Just how is that racist? You are just STUPID!

I think what goes on in this country IS the worlds business,if we are going to hold ourselves out to be the worlds moral compass. Not to mention that we do share a border with Canada and what goes on in their country very much concerns us. I wonder how many countries would like us to myob?

Hey Bobbiewick, how you doing in Canada? I might have to move there if this Republican fools make it to Washington and America becomes the BIG JOKE all over the world again for putting a Republican as president.

I love blogging it beats the crap out sitting on my desk doing nothing.

"Would one of you True Believers for once please explain why McCain can refer to Hillary's economic policy as a pig with lipstick but Obama cannot refer to McCain's programs as a pig with lipstick????"

Because Hillary did not immediately -- or even ever -- before refer to herself as a "pit bull in lipstick." That should have been clear to most normal people.

Wake up American. Please think about us up here in Canada and the rest of the World if you do not care about Americans and your country to have another four years of Bush like establishment. Obama is not just what the doctor ordered candidate but at least better than Bush (opss I mean McCain). Do not make it worse than it is now. Think what Bush has given you and what McCain offing you, it seems indistinguishable.

ENOUGH WITH FRIGGIN LIPSTICK ALREADY!
People really are fools. Who the f**k cares! My god, people are dying in an unjust war, China all but owns this country, people are losing their homes at rate not seen since the great depression,Katrina victims are still being treated like this is a third world, idiots still do not want to believe in global warming, are standing in the rest of the world has gone down the toilet and we are worried about who called who a name? School children have more sense. If McCain/palin thinks Obama was name calling here is something he can use,Sticks and stones... you know the rest. Now if you can not speak intelligently about your party and or candidate, please do not vote because it is people like you ("seems like a guy I could have a beer with)(and trust me, you couldn't)who got us into this mess.

WHITE MEN SHOW SOME GUTS!!
You can't believe that your childrens'future is sound, safe, and secure. Your sons are sacrificing and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan and you are sniffling behind your mothers skirt. I guess your wives have been earning the paycheck for the last 7 years. You are happy to stay at home and raise the kids. She pays the bills and calls the shots. The flip side of welfare is Stay at home Dad! SHOW SOME GUTS! Let go of the skirt and take responsibility like a man. Your manhood is "Palin" to the men of the rest of the world. Have you no shame! JESUS H.CHRIST!

Totally revealing how an ingeniously descriptive simile that so expresses the truth of the situaion can be so deliberately and desperately skewed out of context by the spin doctors working for the Republican campaign. I agree totally with Obama and I appreciate this apt and colorful description by him. I think he should go out of his way to repeat that line over and over again. His campaign ads ought to trumpet that choice statement endlessly. He has given the briefest and the most colorful comment ever describing the the entire Republican campaign that claims that McCain as a maverick candidate would somehow change his party's past actions. The isn't different at all. A washed up and lipsticked pig is still a pig. So beautifully descriptive -- "Just putting lipstick on a pig". McCain's handlers won't let him do anything different. He stands for the same old washed up ideas of Bush, Rove -- just MOS (MORE OF SAME). It is still looks like a PIG and smells like a PIG even with lipstick. To try to claim the Republican ideas are (or will be) changed in any way by McCain merely by saying he is for change is beautifully described -- "lipstick on a pig". Once a pig is always a pig, and smearing lipstick on it doesn't make a pig anything more than just a smeared-up lipsticked pig.

What a bunch of losers you Republicans are!!! You are about to vote for another Bush minded old man who jumped on Hilary Clinton's female popularity. He selected a real pig in lipstick. She has abused her power in Alaska and is under investigation. You will never get it. Your economic situation suck, your medical is nonexistant and you have more homeless than some third world countries. Time for a change, do yourselves a favour and vote Obama.

The Republican deceit machine is in full force with McPalin!
I know the folks who have fallen for McPalin are good people at heart and don't mean to be contributing to the problem by continuing to be duped by the worst of the worst. We need a communicator - not a manipulator! The Sarah McRove manipulators will not lie their way into this one, but it's up to us to make sure they don't have the chance. Register to vote and make sure it's OBAMA who wins - to much is at stake!

If you hate the United States, vote for John McCain. He will finish the demolition that George Bush has so thoroughly started. Now, if you want to work to try and save the United States from all the problems we have created for ourselves, vote for Barrack Obama. Obama can't save the country by himself; it will require hard work and sacrifice from all of us. However, McCain will only lead us all into poverty. So take your pick, hard work and sacrifice or poverty. It is really that simple. If McCain is elected to the White House, it will probably require a civil war to regain the country's democratic integrity. Either, the presidential election is not the end of the debate. It will merely determine if we want a violent and bloody transition(McCain) or peaceful, Christian, democratic transition into the new realities facing the world today.

jim page:
If it looks like a pig, sounds like a pig, acts like a pig it must be a pig. Which isn't tough to extrapalate knowing that Bush's grandaddy was alligned with the Nazi's yet American's still elected George W. nazi. (Katrina anyone!!!) American's will never have an ideal world but atleast the rest of American's should realize that the Democrates throw the people a bone and give us a little rather than taking it all and then blaming the dems for their raping of the American people.

"Please don't mess up our country because you want to see a women in the White House. This is not the time."

This is not the time for the Democrats to have tried to force a weird social experiment down the country's throat: an inexperienced, unqualified candidate, who happens to be AA. My goal is not for a woman to be in the White House; it is to prevent Obama from being elected.

McCain is a pig and Sarah wears lipstick, that much is certain. McCain probably wears lipstick also. The women at my house are concerned about the color of Barack's lips, maybe he needs a different shade.

Sarah is a barracuda, and a hottie, probably not a pig, but today she's a "cocky wacko" or something like that!

If McCain is a Maverick & Independant, Why is he running as a Republican? There is an independant party! They are having a convention this week! Guess who won't be there? Mr. idependant himself, John McCain! Mr agent of intollerance is now the darling of Moral America. GIVE ME A BREAK! You can't hide the White Lie any longer. Barak Obama is more like you than McCain will ever be. Sarah Palin is a different story. But who's running for President? Now we have to listen to who the White Women are voting for on the news. Such a Racist country! John McCain has had 30 years to put you and the country first. His record is simply put PITIFUL! So now a Hockey Mom is gonna call the shots when the Empire State Building is falling, ICBM's are coming at us, and Russia & China flex their muscles all over Europe. Palin is the one to take the 3:00 AM phone call. GET REAL! You can't get past the color of the Man's skin! White Men have put on the skirt to hide their true feelings, I think not! You now wear the attire that suits you the most! WHIMPS!!!!

For any group of persons, such as American voters, there exists a median intelligence for the group. Such median is a midpoint, neither a minority nor majority.
In orthodox democracy, all votes are considered equal and a majority victorious, even
if such majority over represents the lower side of the intelligence median.
The lower side of the intelligence median is easier to sway, and is accordingly the primary focus of the orthodox democratic election processes, spawning all forms of populist tricks and gimmicks, from swift-boats to hockey mom VPs to gas tax holidays and contrived lipstick controversies. This is how the tail wags the dog in this country, and how the tyranny of the majority ensures sub-prime leadership across all elected positions, and why populist gimmicks and other tricks over substantive issues are the norm. Until votes are weighed according to citizenship status, time in country, criminal record, age, education, and community service, sub-prime rule in America will continue unabated.

Everybody I've discussed it with is dead certain that Obama was referring to Palin when he talked about the pig with lipstick. I live in New England, and people around here don't use that expression. Coming so close on the heels of Palin's "pit bull with lipstick" remark, there's little doubt as to what he meant.
______________________________

Don't be stupid!! McCain and Cheney used the same analogy. As you say you and your friends are not familiar with the expression as you live in New England.

Maybe that's why men do not take women seriously. We vote for Hillary and then Palin. We are too emotional. Voting with emotions rather than logic.

Please don't mess up our country because you want to see a women in the White House. This is not the time. There are other issues pressing which are more important than BREAKING A GLASS CEILING think about how the Republicans are currently BREAKING OUR POCKETS!

Michelle said at point early in the primaries that she was "proud of her country" "for the first time", meaning she was proud of Americans for getting involved in the election. (not being the candidate, she is actually that candidate's wife) That is now quoted as "I hate America."

Of course the recent lipstick/pig comment was talking about Palin and the Old Fish was referring to Mccain in this case.
They were both appropriate comments in the context of the discussion and they also happened to be perfectly timed. The lipstick/pig and old fish comments have been used for decades.

The use of those comments at this time in particular and one after in the same moment shows how skillful Obama is and how sharp he is, compared to McCain and the "pause, smile now for the camera" prompting he requires and the sequestering of Palin not answering any questions or doing an interview.

The clever use of accepted language, especially when said by Mccain previously coupled with the perfect delivery and timing is just the sort of thing we need in a president who must be an effective communicator.

McCain once stood for honor, a man that would not back down. Sadly, he's become the ULTIMATE flipflopper.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``
I use to respect McCain for being a Republican maverick. He did help keep the Republican's honest.

I am a democrat and am disappointed McCain chose to succumb to the Dark Side. I do not believe the real McCain would ever stoop to the garbage his Rovian attack squads have been engaged in.

He even said 6 months ago he wanted an honorable and fair fight. And he is capable of such an honorable campaign.

But somewhere along the line he signed up for the current group of scumbags running the campaign for him. He has sold himself to the Devil in order to gain the White House.

He just shows up at the agreed upon time and reads the teleprompter full of lies and deceit. He wanted Lieberman but they convinced him to pick Caribou Barbie for all the now obvious reasons.

This is weird but should he win in November I think you will find McCain flip flop back to his normal, play-fair, do what is right McCain.

Everybody I've discussed it with is dead certain that Obama was referring to Palin when he talked about the pig with lipstick. I live in New England, and people around here don't use that expression. Coming so close on the heels of Palin's "pit bull with lipstick" remark, there's little doubt as to what he meant.

If you want to join the Obama campaign in throwing kitty litter over Obama's mess, of course, nobody can stop you, but it's your own credibility you're damaging.

This reeks of the 2004 election. I never in my wildest dreams thought the American people would vote George Bush back in office. The whole world was watching and were stunned when they sat back and witnessed and even knew our mistake at that time. Now they are watching us again and if we put McCain in office, we are only confirming what they thought of us back in 2004. They'll know just how naive we are. If any of you don't care what the rest of the world thinks about who we put in office, then it's time you grew up and begin to understand, this country does not sit alone. Stop and think how much we actually do depend on other nations. No, maybe you'd better get smart and actually look up the facts of how this proud nation called the United States REALLY DOES depend on other nations and in more ways than one.

The 'uglicans don't CARE whether they tell lies. They only care about what will attract trailer trash -- the only undecided voters.

So dems, STOP talking about issues. We WON on issues; that's why the 'uglies won't discuss them.

We MUST go negative, to win the stupid people in the middle, or THEY WILL WIN AGAIN, pack the supreme court, and outlaw abortion, replace science with superstition in the schools, increase the wars and spying, borrow a trillion dollars from china and stuff it in their own pockets, and that insane woman will become president either when McCain kicks or in '12.

You want someone who falls on the ground and speaks in tongues every sunday to have her finger on the nuclear button?

GO NEG NOW OR LOSE THE ELECTION. THIS IS OUR LAST CHANCE. THEY'VE ALREADY BEAT OUR COUNTRY HALF TO DEATH. IF THEY WIN AGAIN, AMERICA IS DOOMED.

I am a woman who is insulted by the Palin choice. I see it for what it is. Am i so stupid I'd vote for any woman just because she is a woman? No. No more than I'd vote for Obama because he is African American and so am I. If you want more of the same stick to McCain. If you want change, then it's obvious "Obama." Simple as that. Can any of Palin's supporters tell us what her views are. Or has she not been told yet? Respect is lacking here. Sarah is a weak woman who is allowing herself to be used as a pawn. Why and what is she hiding? Could it be the photos of her now pregnant daughter underage drinking? In the home, no less. If she can't run her household, she can't run ours.

As a republican, I have to say I'm a bit ashamed of my party right now. They've gussied themselves up, tried to act cool, and at the expense of their dignity and pride. McCain once stood for honor, a man that would not back down. Sadly, he's become the ULTIMATE flipflopper.

The race he and his campaign staff are running is a travesty. Except for his agreeing with Bush (and not even republicans in general, but Bush himself) a majority of the time (is that true? I'm going on the media and ads here) all I know about McCain is how much he doesn't like Obama - because the only campaign ads I see for McCain are negative attacks on Obama. I know there has to be some mudslinging - despite McCain saying he would not - but this is really quite out of hand.

I cannot respect a man who believes this is the only way to win. I have to go with Obama - even if I don't agree with his policies 100% or his party. Because frankly, he's just a better role model, a better speaker, and in the end, I think, the better man.

McCain went from hero to horror. It saddens me. And it saddens me that people think this is perfectly OK.

Obama, you could have made the issue go away with an apology to Palin, you didn't.

No matter how many tims you folks reprint this accusation has little to do with its validity. It's apparent in reviwing it to impartial bystanders that it is quite clear Obama was in no way referring to Palin.

Just as in viewing the YouTube video of McCain a year ago commenting on Hillary's ideas as, dare I say it? "Lipstick on a pig."

And no one is accusing McCain as referring to Hillary as a pig.

There is even a video of Cheney making the same comment.

So if you folks want to keep puffing up your chest and making juvenile absurd accusations go for it.

We'll see how this flies during the upcoming debates between McCain and Obama.

Twenty percent of our presidents who have come into power were v.p.'s that had to take over due to death or impeachment. Are we really so partisan, that we can not see that this woman is not ready to assume that seat? And she may be very popular in Alaska,but at what cost? She was a popular mayor because everone in Wasilla got a little something extra back in their tax's but she left the town 20 mil. in debt. Sound familiar? Justice Stevens is eighty eight. There is a strong possibility that who ever is elected will fill that seat. Do we really want to tilt that far right?

Okay. Let me get this straight. By bombing Vietnamese civilians and then sitting out a war in a POW camp, and losing the war, McCain somehow has what it takes to lead? From what I hear he was known as "The Hanoi Songbird", a collaborator of the worst sort, put up in an old posh French colonial villa.

His record in Congress is equally a joke. He has consistently put the Republican party before the country -- denying his fairminded anti-torture legislation to support W, for example. Maverick? Ha-ha, give me a break.

There was also McCain and the Keating scandal, which seems to typify Republican operations -- Savings & LOan from Reagan and now the subprime crisis from W.

Eight years of Republican rule and the country is in the toilet. The constitution is now used as a floor mat at 1600 Penn, the dollar is worthless, unemployment is up, and most of the world hates us. Want more of the same? Vote McCain. It's that simple.

Nothing frightens "Regular" White Americans more than an Angry Black Man. It's time to stop tiptoeing through the tulips and be honest. As an African American I find this whole thing refreshing. The White lie about Racism is being shown to the entire world who are keenly focused on this election because the Democratic nominee is Black! Eight years of corruption, lies, isolation, wrecked economy, failing schools, job loss, rising prices, home loss, loss of pensions, health care, you name it we got it! White Men are now patsies for their wives. Stay Home Dad is now a term of endearment. Bread winner is now on the trash heap of history and Blue Collar Men are holding on to their wives skirt. DISGUSTING! It's time for Men to have a conversation, and do a little soul searching especially our White Brothers. As men right now you guy's are stinking up the place!

Unfortunately this whole spin game began to get out of control, when the left tagged McCain as McBush months ago and then came up with nothing but trash about Palin from the moment she was introduced. Now they are checking her emails for? Her psoition on the economy? Her position on foreign affairs?

Hopefully BOTH sides will get back to the issues. However, based upon reading the blogs, there is not much hope, when the mainstream media reports anything and everything before ethically and professionally vetting the information for accuracy and truthfulness.

I do not recall the outrage when Michael Moore and MOveOn.org does anything. Help.

mariah: Is that the best you Republican girly men can do - still throwing out that pathetic insistent that Obama is Muslim (I suggest you check Islamic law about your facts) and that Michelle said "I hate my country". And that makes you how stupid? Honey, it still ain't true just because you are too immature, unschooled and ignorant to give it up and move on to something substantive about this campaign. Pathetic. Backwoods ignorant pathetic. Too stupid to quote Michelle accurately. Too stupid to know how to look up Islamic law and culture. Probably too stupid to even know what the real issue are. mariah - you are a very good example of why men denied women the vote for so long. Get a life, sweetie, and stop reading those romance novels long enough to learn the difference between fact and fiction.

Obama lied about his past as a Muslim - what else is he hiding??? Everyone from the MiddleEast knows he is a Muslim - it's Muslim culture. Here we are on September 11th and Americans are debating about a Muslim's potential presidency. What a joke...

He lost two planes while in training when the engines flamed out. He tried to restart the second plane 3 times before he bailed out. These were routine crashes that the Navy accepted as equipment failure. Nothing to do with McCain's ability.

And for your information Navy crash reports are brutally honest in assigning blame.

The 3rd plane was lost when it was struck by a Zuni rocket fired from another Navy plane sitting on the other side of the deck as he was preparing to get his own plane ready. He barely escaped with his life. 134 other sailors died in this incident.

The fourth incident was when he was shot down near Hanoi by a SAM. Kind of hard to blame him for doing his job over a surface to air missile battery doing their job in shooting him down.

I am voting for Obama. But we aren't helping his cause by spreading these false stories to make Mccain look bad. Let's use the truth to point out why we favor Obama.

McCain and Palin are little more that the old grey organ grinder and his cute little monkey.

She knows nothing about the issues and is as dumb as a rock, a barking dog is not a pit bull. If you have nothing to say, they point fingers. I knew a girl like this on the playground when I was in elementary school.

The only good thing about her... she supports secession from the Union and I am all for that.

FISCAL CONSERVATIVE

Sarah Palin’s portrait as a fiscal conservative when she ran the city of Wasilla, Alaska, as its mayor from 1996 to 2002. However, the truth is during her 6 years as mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33 percent.

According to figures provided by the city of Wasilla, the operating budget for Wasilla went from $6,050,160 in fiscal year 1996 to $9,393,768 in 2002. That’s a 55 percent increase. But adjusted for inflation, it’s a 35 percent increase.

She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a recessive sales tax which taxed even food. Under Palin, property tax rates did, in fact, go down; and the sales tax did go up from 2 percent to 2.5 percent.

The huge increases in tax revenues during her administration weren’t enough to fund everything on her wish list though; borrowed money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? Or a new library? No! $1 million for a park, $15 million-plus for construction of a multi-use sports complex...She also supported bonds for $5.5 million for road projects that could have been done in 5-7 years without any borrowing.

The fiscal year ending 1996 (when Palin took the reins), which showed the city’s long-term debt at $1.12 million, mostly for paving and sewer projects. The annual financial report for fiscal year ending June 30, 2002 — Palin’s last year in office — shows that the total long-term debt was $24.8 million. Long-term debt increased $23.7 million. From $1.1 million to $23.7million – that is one large increase.

HOW HAVE THOSE PROJECTS WORKED OUT

WASILLA, Alaska — The biggest project that Sarah Palin undertook as mayor of this small town was an indoor sports complex, where locals played hockey, soccer, and basketball, especially during the long, dark Alaskan winters.

The only catch was that the city began building roads and installing utilities for the project before it had unchallenged title to the land. The misstep led to years of litigation and at least $1.3 million in extra costs for a small municipality with a small budget. What was to be Ms. Palin’s legacy has turned into a financial mess that continues to plague Wasilla.

“It’s too bad that the city of Wasilla didn’t do their homework and secure the land before they began construction,” said Kathy Wells, a longtime activist here. “She was not your ceremonial mayor; she was in charge of running the city. So it was her job to make sure things were done correctly.”

Litigation resulting from the dispute over Ms. Palin’s sports-complex project is still in the courts, with the land’s former owner seeking hundreds of thousands of additional dollars from the city.

Palin likes to say “Good judgment can make the difference between avoiding a crisis and managing a catastrophe.”

Indeed.

A PEA IN THE POD…..PALIN

STATES WORRY OVER BONDS BACKED BY FEDERAL MONEY

CHARLESTON, W.VA. - The bankruptcy of the federal highway trust fund halted road work around the country and sparked fears that state governments would be on the hook for billions of dollars in bonds they had planned to pay off with money from Washington.

While Congress works on a quick injection of $8 billion to the fund, highway planners say that's only a temporary fix and that the whole system of funding road projects is structurally flawed.

"It's just a big mess," summed up Jack Basso, chief operating officer of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

I think the Democrats are the ones who are terrified. Why else have they completely stopped talking about the issues? Where's the discussion on the economy? Health care? Iraq? They know they can't run and win on the issues, so they have resulted to fabricated drama and gimmicky race issue . It's sad, and to be frank, incredibly insulting and disrespectful to the presidential election process.

Lamobama has demonstrated he will do literally anything, including sell his soul and honour, in order to win the Presidency. In fact, he now seems more focused on winning than on being a good President!

I look forward to the debates when Obama and Biden will be forced, at least for a short time, to stop all the drama and sit down and answer questions about their policies. That is when you will see a huge McCain gain in the polls, because the Democrats simply ahve nothing to run on.

Where were all the columns about "mud slinging" and negative campaigning when Obama/Biden attacked McCain (and scored some very cheap points) over how many houses he owned? Why was there no outrcy from the Post then? Interesting.

Of course McCain beats Obama in a debate. Obama really only knows what to say with a telepromter and every time he ad libs, he puts his foot in his mouth. Obama really only knows about himself and that is why he wrote 2 books about himself while authoring NO MAJOR LAWS in either state or US senate. In debates with Hillary, she was always asked all of the tougher questions first and then Obama would say he agreed and pretty much repeat what she said...........and how will that work with McCain?????? Maybe it will since Obama told Bill O'Reilly that the surge was "a great success". He flips on absolutely everything so maybe he will just parot McCain but what happens when he is asked the question first????? McCain is no dummy and will insist on fairness which is something Hillary could not do untill late night comedy questioned it first after many debates.

atwork2 wrote : "At least Obama knows how a bill goes into and out of committee in Congress. "

I think most High school kids learn that in their political science class today. If knowing how a bill goes into and out of committee in Congress is you qualification for President then any high school kid would be qualified.

Since the President is the Chief Executive of the country, where is Obama's executive and leadership experience? At least Palin has some of that and McCain has the same from the commands he had while in the service and can demonstrate he knows how to get a bill (McCain-Feingold for example) passed in Congress.

Pentacostal Pete:
My siblings and I grew up in the Assembly of God church with the phoney speaking in tounges freaks and the propoganda the worst of being told as a child that aborted fetuses were ground up and put into makeup and shampoo!!!!! Which makes anyone with a brain wonder why the Republican party was running from Mit Romney and his Mormonism, atleast Romney is intelligent and could have run the economy (and a far cry better to watch while speaking than grandpa McCain).

I don't give a rat's petunia if Hussein Lamobama inspires fagots. He's going to hafve to run some pretty important things. based on his lack of knowledge or experience in sooo many fields, this presents a disturbing issue.
Yet people would vote for him because he's black and leftist? (or heavy-handed and vicious - depending who you talk to).
Do people not understand what civic responsibilty is? I don't recall the class in school that said we should vote for the candidate that provides the biggest (short-term) up-yours yahoo to the other party. Supposed to vote for someone who has at least a fighting chance of doing the job. That isn't the Lamobama. At least McCain/Palin knows how a bill goes into and out of committee .

What happened to the mighty moose slayer that she's suddenly become such a fragile shrinking violet that she needs be sheltered in a cocoon of Rovian deception and despicable lies? Is this an advance warning to the occasional reporter who might be fortunate enough to gain access to the "cone of silence" surrounding her and be so intemperate as to ask a real question? Watch yourself Mr. Gibson, remember the operant word here: DEFERENCE. What happened to the hero myth of the Happy Warrior, our certified war hero former POW candidate. He now looks more like a caviling coward hiding behind a web of lies AND his running mate's skirt. If there's an ounce of honesty left in his Mephitopholean mortgaged soul or a modicum of courage in his maverick heart let him show it. Shame on you, John McCain for plumbing the desperate depths of deception and despicable chicanery where once honesty and "straight talking" held sway!

I think the Republicans are the ones who are terrified. Why else have they completely stopped talking about the issues? Where's the discussion on the economy? Health care? Iraq? They know they can't run and win on the issues, so they have resulted to fabricated drama and gimmicky VP selections. It's sad, and to be frank, incredibly insulting and disrespectful to the presidential election process.

McCain has demonstrated he will do literally anything, including sell his soul and honour, in order to win the Presidency. In fact, he now seems more focused on winning than on being a good President!

I look forward to the debates when McCain and Palin will be forced, at least for a short time, to stop all the drama and sit down and answer questions about their policies. That is when you will see a huge Obama gain in the polls, because the Republicans simply ahve nothing to run on.

The Republicans truly want the country divided into two. All for them and nothing for the rest of us. They are illusionists, magicians. Lies can be twisted to become true. The Nazi war machine was good at that. Their Minister of Propaganda said,"If you tell a lie for a long time and repeatedly, it becomes the truth" And we all saw what happened .McCain, Sarah Palin and the Republicans are now doing the something, lying, cheating and smearing. They think they are above everyone. The country is theirs. Because they get all the money, they think they are entitled to everything even our language. They can put lipstick on a pit pulldog according to Ms Palin. They can put lipstick on a pig according to Senator McCain. But Obama, you can't put lipstick on a pig. Whose pig? Theirs? They have built themselves several large glass houses, but they continue to throw stones and mud. They attack because their fake glass houses are crumbling fast around them. Yes you can package an old fish in a new newspaper but it still stinks. The Republican message and ideology have brought nothing but failure. A failed economy, an unnecessary war killing our youth for what? We are poorer than 8 years ago. We have lost our stand in the world. The dollar gets you nowhere. The swift boat got us where we are. The Republicans profess to be our moral crusaders. If their cheating, their lying and divisiveness are to be our standards, then we are in trouble. As they say "the end of times is near", are they preparing us for that? God help us. God help America. We have time to change this foolish course. We have had 8 years of this mayhem. One more day will be catastrophic. The Republicans are using the mud sling as a diversion, as a distraction. They don't have any solutions for problems, so they don't want you to think about them. They think if you are busy with nonsense, you will forget your dare situation. Don't let them fool you again. Open you eyes. The Russians are not coming. China and India are flexing their muscles through well planned management and economy without a single shot. Let’s bomb them McCain, and his shoot from the hip partner are half a century behind times. America has matured. We have come away from the Wild West days. It is vision and intelligence we need. We need more education. The twenty first battles are brain wars not canons. Vietnam taught us that. Now Iraq has made even clearer. Our new war is competition. Our new war is economy. McCain says he doesn't know much about it .In fact, he doesn’t even think it matters. Otherwise how can he say our economy is strong and we are doing fantastic? Where does he live? Here in our country? Does he really mean "country first" when he doesn't even know what is happening to us. Does he buy gas? Does he buy beer? No, he doesn't He gets it free. His Wife is Budweiser distributorship hiress. They have seven houses, so how would he know what foreclosure means to the ordinary American? Heck he loses a house and still has several places to sleep. And you? The wounded vets? After Bush and McCain sent them to Iraq a lot are homeless and sleep on the street. They are lucky if and when they get care at Walter Reed. Do you think McCain cares about them? He wouldn't even vote for the GI bill Yes, he cares alright about their health and education. Do you remember what the senior Bush said to win?” Read my lips No new taxes” And what did he do once he won. He raised our taxes! McCain and Sarah Palin are telling us the same, selling us a bill of goods, telling whatever we want to hear if it even means lying. Remember Ms Palin's" thanks and no thanks for the bridge to nowhere"? It is an absolute lie. Remember McCain for tax cut? Yes, he was against Bush's tax cut before he changed his mind. Now he is for it. What do they stand for?

You obvisiously have an issue with yourself more than Obama. Anyone with insight can see that. I know your in pain, deep pain, so much pain even your brain cells have ceased to function. I would recommend you get some proper help. Find a couch, talk it out with someone. Dont blame Obama for it, he has nothing to do with you nor McCain for that matter. Let us all Democrates and Republicans pray for you so you may find the right path to healing. God Bless Amercia and God save seeitclear too!

That these issues dominate our politics clearly indicates that America, land of ingenuity, high values, and compassion, is now overpopulated with idiots. It's disgusting and embarrassing and strongly indicates the decline of the "Great Society". I used to be very pleased to be an American but now it is very uncomfortable - it may be time to go North.

So where's the change? The GOP continues to lie, sling mud, and avoid any serious discussion of the issues.

Instead of talking about McCain's plans for the economy, war profiteering, etc...all we get is Obama misquoted, fake rage, and the nutty right-wing media coming along for the ride. (These slime balls have no clue as to what real reporting and analysis is. If they did, maybe the candidates would behave like adults for a change.)

I'm a Republican and I'm fed up with this nonsense. McCain's message of change up to this point has been nothing but symbolic prattle. Where's the substance? Instead, we get this lame, schoolyard drivel. I want more from my party.

The irony at this point is that McCain and Palin are actually only running against their own lamentable records.

Talk issues and what you are going to do for the country. I'm tired of being treated in such a demeaning fashion.

Moving to Canada if those Republicans win this election. I will watch from a distance as the empire crumbles from within. The Vietnam war was the beginning of the decline and Martin Luther King Jr. predicted our current lack of respect for international affairs and our total disregard of international policy. America lost its way back in the 80's and aside from a brief turnaround when Clinton was in office it has been sliding down the crapper ever since. The 2 party system is BROKEN. It all boils down to a stupid sporting event. Campaign reform needs to happen before anything will change. Sadly this country is doomed to disaster before anything like that will happen I think. Now that it's 9/11 let's celebrate the anniversary of the catalyst that helped spiral our nation to an all time low. Congrats oil companies and war profiteers. You win! The stupid Americans in this country gave it to you on a silver platter.

As for those who think the Republicans are for women's rights...if it were up to the socially retarded Republicans, all women would be barefoot in the kitchen and not allowed to vote. The Republicans are not the party of inclusion as they like to call themselves. If they really were...where was the woman or minority candidate running for PRESIDENT? If you think a party that is anti-choice is for women's rights, you're sadly mistaken. Enjoy your Patriot Act when you're living in a police state.

Rob wrote "Let's say governor Palin gets a national audience and says something like "Let's call a spade a spade. Barack Obama's social programs will fatten an already bloated Washington bereaucracy." Now, You know that the liberal media, Obama's campaign staff, the NAACP, and perhaps even Obama himself would totally blow that statement out of proportion and publicy decry the outrage of such a blatantly racist comment."

They would since they blew a gasket when Hillary said that Barack Obama "hasn't done the spadework necessary to be president." when spadework used in that context means "dull or routine preliminary work preparing for an undertaking."

Stupid comment by a stupid politician. As soon as Sarah said the joke about hockey Mom's, Pitbulls, and lipstick it was obvious Obama or one of his followers were going to say something as equally rediculous. What do you know, go figure ... and to think ... this may be the next President of the United States of America.

I don't give a rat's petunia if Palin inspires women. If McCain has a stroke - or something else - she's going to hafve to run some pretty important things. based on her lack of knowledge or experience in sooo many fields, this presents a disturbing issue.
Yet people would vote for her because she's cute and spunky? (or heavy-handed and vicious - depending who you talk to).
Do people not understand what civic responsibilty is? I don't recall the class in school that said we should vote for the candidate that provides the biggest (short-term) up-yours yahoo to the other party. Supposed to vote for someone who has at least a fighting chance of doing the job. That isn't the Barracuda. At least Obama knows how a bill goes into and out of committee in Congress.

The GOP seems to be regressing to their collective junior highschool days with all the hyper-attention to he-said-she-said and over-analysis. Honestly, being called a pig might be the least of Palin's worries, in my opinion.

Since Palin was announced as McCain's running mate, each day has been a feel-good celebration for the GOP. Evil media for trying to find substantive issues! The old advertising buzz phrase, "Where's the meat?" keeps running through my mind.

So far, the only meat I have seen is the picture of Sarah and her toddler admiring the bloodied, dead caribou ("harvested" by Palin) that is plastered over the news. That, and the photo of her sitting on the throw made of a dead bear on her office sofa, made more of an impression on me than a pig in lipstick.

Tiptoeing might be ok if you are trying not to wake the sleeping baby, but this is a campaign for the presidency of America. Palin has invented herself as a tough as nails politician. I think the honeymoon needs to end. With or without lipstick, Palin needs to be subjected to the same tough questions and scrutiny the other candidates have had for many, many moons in this campaign.

And, for the sake of our national intellectual integrity, it is time for the GOP junior high hallway popularity squad to grow up.

Obama lost all debates to Hillary and he will look like a fool debating McCain. Hillary helped Obama in many of the debates because she thought he would be her VP but McCain is not going to help Obama at all and without a telepromter, Obama sounds silly with his stumbling and fumbling. Obama intended to slam Palin with his lipstick pig comment just as he intended to slam Hillary with his flipping the bird when saying her name and waiting for his laugh.......this boy is street trash and I for one would have never allowed my daughter to date him........color does not matter in my family but character does.

Hide-baby-Hide! McGrampy needs you so bad right now, he's left to the wolves while you're off putting lipstick on a moose...or whatever it is you do. This is going to be great once the McSame team has nothing else to complain about and must face the music!

To anonymous : Oh my goodness ... you really did drink a lot of the cool-aid, didn't you? Obama has been clearly favored by the liberal, biased, sexist media through out the primary and it is still continuing. Obama has had the advantage of having the public brain-washed. The media has led the public to believe that Obama is some kind of a Messiah who is here to save the world, when in fact, he is just another corrupt politician from Chicago. His affiliation with Rezko, a Syrian born, money laundering slum lord, convicted felon, who had all the Chicago politicians (Obama included) in his back pocket ... speaks volumes about who Obama is. I know it must be sad for all the Obama fans, who have been blindly following their fake leader, to have someone Real come into the picture, but thankfully it is happening before we go to the polls.

I am not going to throw insults toward Republicans. I have decided they are not the party for me anymore and I'm going to support Obama. I am so dissapointed with McCain and Palin for not believeing in the strengh of Republican Party Policies and campaign on them. So far, I still dont know who Palin is in terms of her political views and McCain now just seems to stand beside her saying beneath his breath, boy did I get it right in picking Palin for VP, the base really loves her.

You people keep perpetuating the trivial stuff so McPiggy doesn't have to do any interviews, talk about the real issues or debate anyone...Just like Bush, throw something out as a distraction. You will eventually have to introduce yourself and debate Obama, Biden and (i can't wait) Hilary. She is going to wipe that lipstick right off your piggy candidates face!

What happened to the mighty moose slayer that she's suddenly become such a fragile shrinking violet that she needs be sheltered in a cocoon of Rovian deception and despicable lies? Is this an advance warning to the occasional reporter who might be fortunate enough to gain access to the "cone of silence" surrounding her and be so intemperate as to ask a real question? Watch yourself Mr. Gibson, remember the operant word here: DEFERENCE. What happened to the hero myth of the Happy Warrior, our certified war hero former POW candidate. He now looks more like a caviling coward hiding behind a web of lies AND his running mate's skirt. If there's an ounce of honesty left in his Mephitopholean mortgaged soul or a modicum of courage in his maverick heart let him show it. Shame on you, John McCain for plumbing the desperate depths of deception and despicable chicanery where once honesty and "straight talking" held sway!

You see, words are important. No one knows this more that Barack Obama. Let's say governor Palin gets a national audience and says something like "Let's call a spade a spade. Barack Obama's social programs will fatten an already bloated Washington bereaucracy." Now, You know that the liberal media, Obama's campaign staff, the NAACP, and perhaps even Obama himself would totally blow that statement out of proportion and publicy decry the outrage of such a blatantly racist comment. It doesn't matter one whit that the context of the statement is crystal clear. Campaign issues would be pushed to the side so fast your head would swim. "Outrage" would be the headline followed closely by the title "GOP language plumbs new lows!" Democrats, you know this to be true, so please cease with the hypocrisy. Yes, words are important. And so are the timing and delivery of words. Obama let slip a peek of what I consider to be a major character flaw and America noticed.

What nobody seems to mention about Palin's bridge to nowhere is that the $400 million price tag works out to $8,000,000 per island citizen (population 50). Heck, if she can have a nanny, certainly the wealthy island citizen outside Ketchikan could each have been given their own private helicopter and pilot at that price tag

It's also sickening to see so many racist comments about Obama. But I suppose for a lot of you, color is the only issue that matters. Shame on you.

Posted by: jennifer
==========================

Jennifer should know that the reason Obama has stopped playing the race card is because it will not work against McCain. If McCain said "Jesse Jackson won SC too" and Obama called him racist........McCain would have trotted out his children including a daughter adopted who just happens to be black. So even when McCain is elected and history is made with a female VP........history will also be made by the fact that the young adopted daughter of his that happens to be black and will live in the White House. That is why there is no more race baiting from Obama....he will never win after all his race and sexist ploys.
McCain/Palin 2008 and Hillary 2012

Most of these comments come from middle class like me. Therefore me is easy to understand why a reach person votes Republican, but a low income class person? Besides that...don't tell me you love to see your kids or grand kids being used as soldiers and to go fight for oil just to help some reach families to accumulate more billions of dollars. This is not being patriot that is being stupid and ignorant.

That's what McCain wants, and even if he doesn't say it that those will be the results.

If you are an independent, please pay attention, when you read or see the comments from many republicans you'll see a lot of anger and frustration. Is very difficult for them to say I was wrong, the president we chose is terrible, he is useless for this job, and when it comes to McCain, all the evidence point in the same direction.
My questions are: Do you want to have the same nightmares: high gas prices,no no health insurance, by the way are you happy with your house price and millions of people losing their houses?
and the most important part are you making earning more money to compensate does expenses?

Leaving the silliness of the lipstick flap,
what people are failing to realize, is the Palin factor is affecting every political race across the entire country, from the statehouse to the presidency. There are Republican state Reps, Governors, Senators, Congressman, who have been behind all summer (and much behind), until Palin appeared on the scene.
Lets start with the preference for Congress, a 10 point jump to Repubs, NC Gov McGrory, a 5 point jump, Rossi in WA, for the first time this summer, leads with a 5 point jump, and its happening in all 57 states.

HAHAHA...they won't because they have nothing to say, just pointing out the petty stuff. I can't wait until the McSame camp must come out and explain who they are...Hide-Baby-Hide!!

------

You people keep perpetuating the trivial stuff so McPiggy doesn't have to do any interviews, talk about the real issues or debate anyone...Just like Bush, throw something out as a distraction. You will eventually have to introduce yourself and debate Obama, Biden and (i can't wait) Hilary. She is going to wipe that lipstick right off your piggy candidates face!

I am also from the great Midwest and have been putting lipstick on pigs for years. How could anyone mistake the metaphor for a slap at Ms. Palin. Let me be perfectly clear; the continued use of "not ready to lead" is encoded speak for black man should not lead. Are Democrats or liberals demanding the Repubs to withdraw such an obvious encoding of language? Karl Rove lives and is kicking the campaign his way. That is NASTY.

Yes, we need to start the debates, now!! Quit running and hiding Palin! come out and face the media! without pre authorized questions...face the media like anyone else
-------

You people keep perpetuating the trivial stuff so McPiggy doesn't have to do any interviews, talk about the real issues or debate anyone...Just like Bush, throw something out as a distraction. You will eventually have to introduce yourself and debate Obama, Biden and (i can't wait) Hilary. She is going to wipe that lipstick right off your piggy candidates face!

Our language is full of sayings, euphemisms and anecdotes. I somehow doubt Obama just happened to choose a comment about pigs and lipstick arbitrarily. To hide from it now merely underscores that he's just as happy to wallow in the gutter as is McCain. Those who believe otherwise are fools. The sad fact is, the public's fascination with the drama, backbiting and less-than-presidential behavior has fueled the candidate's willingness to behave this way. If we're really unhappy about it, and we really wish they'd stick to the issues, we only have us all to blame.

Gosh, isn't that exactly what McCain said a few months back -- lipstick on a pig -- referring to Sen. Clinton? I'm afraid it's the press that's blowing this one out of proportion. It needs to say, over and over (the way the GOPs do) that McCain said it first, McCain said it first, McCain said it first. The McCain people would HAVE to shut up, wouldn't they?

"LIPSTICK ON A PIG" IS NOT SEXIST. It is a common political expression. Cheney used it referring to Kerry in 2004. Obama has used it pre-Palin referring to McCain. And McCain has used it referring to H. Clinton.

If it cannot be used to refer to the politicking of a ticket containing a female candidate without whining, then the female candidate does not belong in politics.

What's next? If someone uses the adage "All Hat No Cattle" to refer to the lack of any specifics in the McCain campaign will they be accused of calling Palin a Cow?

Anyone who changes their vote to McPalin based on the manufactured outrage over "Lipstick on a Pig" is so foolish we’d be better off if they not vote at all.

Democrats: have you forgotten Michelle Obama's "I hate my country" comment? As a couple the Obamas don't love our country; furthermore democrats, you are supporting the first Muslim born man for president:
BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA was born to a Muslim family and by Muslim rules his "conversion" to the Rev. Wright's Trinity Christian Church at age 24? is forbidden by the Koran. He and Michelle are closet Muslims.

I know three people no longer voting for McCain because of his campaign's recent "mud slinging". He has truly shown himself willing to say or do anything to get elected. This is a "War Hero". DISGUSTING!

"It's crazy to me that Sarah Palin is getting more attention by the media than the issues that have left this country is disarray."

Uh, welcome to America. We care less about real issues, performance and the state of our nation, and more about what's on TV, our MySpace profiles, and who won the last NASCAR race. Sarah Palin has just enough white trash in her to make her one of us, who cares about the issues.

You people keep perpetuating the trivial stuff so McPiggy doesn't have to do any interviews, talk about the real issues or debate anyone...Just like Bush, throw something out as a distraction. You will eventually have to introduce yourself and debate Obama, Biden and (i can't wait) Hilary. She is going to wipe that lipstick right off your piggy candidates face!

Wow, if that's not the best example of the pot calling the kettle black, I don't know what is. And no, all you republican #@(*ing morons, that's not a racist comment.

Seriously, John McCain's fall from honor would be comical if there wasn't so much riding on this election. He's embraced all the ideas and tactics he once spoke out forcefully against. I guess he'll say and do ANYTHING to become president. Obama, on the other hand, hasn't allowed the 527s to smear McCain, and he takes the high road when given open opportunities to call out the republicans on their shameless LIES like the 'bridge to nowhere' and other nonsense.

If the American people vote for McCain, I'm not gonna up and leave the country, but I will put a lot more of my 401K into overseas stocks b/c he will continue to screw up the economy worse than Bush did.

Yes, of course, McCain is exploiting Obama's "lipstick" remark, but Obama should have known better and chosen another metaphor. If this were chess, I'd say that Obama had squandered a positional advantage by playing sloppily. At this point, McCain is just playing better chess. Obama is too smart to be making such stupid mistakes, from Jeremiah Wright to guns and religion to lipstick on a pig. He is a tragic figure, undermined not by McCain but by his own hubris.

And one more thing. I pray Obama will NEVER apologize to those Republican thugs on anything he says or does against them. The Repubs will do anything - and I mean anything to win and the minute they can act injured about some perceived slight they go ballistic. They truly deserve anything that happens to them. I have really had it with the Karl Rove Republicans. They are harmful to this country.

I can't help but look at the mess the media has created for your entire country. Stop even putting faces and names on the canidates. Simply think about what you want from your government policy, Sarah Palin won't do you any favors just because both your kids play hockey. Women fought so hard on both sides of the border for the right to vote, and now they are blind voting based soley on gender. Does this woman actually share anything in common with the average American women outside of being a woman? I know most Americans take offence at other countries having an opinion about there elections but we're in a globalized world, your policies affect ours and vice-versa, keep that in mind and force the media to start focusing on the actual issues!...Now...about this Canadian election thing....(here we go!)

Black Saint J, it's silly to blame what a preacher says or does on people that attend their church. I dunno how much research you've done on Palin's churches, but she's from a crazy Pentecostal one that believes in speaking in tongues and other nonsense. Does that mean she's a complete loon too? And I for one sat through many crazy ranting sermons at church growing up by priests that equated rock'n'roll with Satan and other such nonsense. If you're going to use religion or religious leaders as a defining factor in who you vote for, you really can't vote for either of the main parties without being a hypocrite.

I actually think Obama should continue to use the Lipstick on a Pig saying when he speaks. I can't remember the last time McCain had any detailed discussion about his policies. Listen to Obama's convention speech and you will get his policies: zero dependence on foreign oil in 10 years, health care options for citizens similar to what members of Congress have, tax CUTS on the working/middle class, etc. So stop watching Fox News and realize that Obama has already spelled out what he wants to do. Besides, I don't think Obama needed to spell out what change is; look it up in a dictionary. Or here, this is what it means: "to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone."

And you mean to tell me McCain/Palin is about change. Like McCain, you care, but you just don't get it!!!!! You can put lipstick on a pig, and it is still a pig. So you are going to call me sexist now?

If I were Obama, I would keep using that line. Clearly, the Republican's won't talk about the issues, so chase them away from the promised land.

This whole thing just goes to show how desperate McCain is to keep the focus OFF of the real issues. McCain is an idiot when it comes to foreign affairs and national security. His only chance is to keep up these non-issue attacks. All McCain has to offer is hate and more failed Bush policies.
And anyway, its not like Obama said "Hey look, McCain has put lipstick on his pet pig and surrounded her with ex-Bush campaign staffers."

"Bottom lines:
Obama could have made the issue go away with an apology to Palin, he didn't."

He didn't insult her. An apology would have only "confirmed" the false allegations against him.

"Obama could have chosen Hillary for his Vice President running mate, he didn't."

Clinton could have run a clean campaign, but SHE didn't.

"Obama said he was going to lead an upright campaign as an agent of change, he isn't."

Please give some examples. It seems that the Republicans seem to be the ones making vicious political attacks AND crying wolf about being victimized.

"In matters of judgement, views on women, and arrogance... Obama continues to demonstrate he isn't ready to lead. He has less effective leadership experience than Palin and it shows. As Vice President, Palin will represent more change and inspire more women and young women than any American leader has ever done.
That is the bottom line.
Obama, you don't respect women and you lost my vote."

No mention of McCain I noticed. Way to dodge the fact he is a known temperamental, womanizer who CHEATED ON then DITCHED his first wife for a younger, hotter, RICH woman. All because she was disfigured after a tragic car accident. WHAT A GUY!!! Picking a female VP sure makes up for that...

I am voting for McCain/Palin. I want to see the Supreme Court go CONSERVATIVE. I want to see women's rights return era before 1920's unless you women of elite class or top 5% of wealth. I want to see books, magazine, articles, news report to be censored, banned or burned because it disagree with Conservative status quo. I want to see illegal immigrants and some non-white immigrants rounded up and sent back to their country unless they get a slave class working permit.

I want to see government entitlement be handed out only if your part of right Christian religious faith, everything else too bad. Again, too bad Catholics, Lutherans, Mormons.

I want to see TV Shows and Movies restricted to acceptable content to Ultra Right-Wing Neocon Christian Conservatives.
I want to see one elected and soon to be President Palin to only talk to World Leaders only if they are Christians, Pending Christian or selected Big Business interest. No other World Leader shall apply.

Lastly, I want to see destruction of the Middle Class due to tax benefits to WEALTHY FIRST. OOPS COUNTRY FIRST. We must ensure all top 5% or 2% or 1% got everything they need, exploited, stole FIRST. Maybe, they will allow their wealth Cough Scraps to trickle down to us to fight for.

Don't forget, COUNTRY FIRST! You must be in major Debit like our 10 Trillions Nation debt to put COUNTRY FIRST! You must have personal debt enslave you! COUNTRY FIRST!

Doesn't anyone care about the real issues anymore? It's crazy to me that Sarah Palin is getting more attention by the media than the issues that have left this country is disarray. Palin is absolutely not qualified to be VP and certainly not qualified to lead as president of the most powerful nation in the world. If you think otherwise, you are part of the problem in this country. As for McCain, he stands for more of the same...something that I cannot tolerate. I love this country too much to let the McCain-Palin ticket denigrate our country any further. It's also sickening to see so many racist comments about Obama. But I suppose for a lot of you, color is the only issue that matters. Shame on you.

After listening to Biden last night I'm willing to make a prediction. The Obama campaign realizes now they need a gimmick to get their poll numbers up and Biden, by his own admission admits the Hillary would make a better VP than he. I predict that Biden will withdraw his name from the ticket and Obama will ask Hillary to join him on the ticket. Joe will say that it's his choice but we all will know that Obama will be the one calling the shots. He knows he made an error by not aksing Hillary to be the VP in the first place and this will give him the opportunity to correct his error.

Someone wrote the Post below but it is hard to see how even a Left Wing Loony can seriously refute the Logic. However, as most Americans with common sense realize when it comes to the Loony Left or the Right Wing nuts Logic has no place,they are govern by Illogical emotions and Passions. But one thing is for sure Obama is either ONE Oblivious to the obvious & his Stupidly is on equal to or greater than the Current Moron in the WH or TWO he is lying so blatantly that his next book should be about The Audacity of Lies.

It is simply not plausible for anyone to believe Barack Obama watched tapes of Reverend Wright in college (as he has admitted to doing), was a member of that church for 20 years, chose Reverend Wright to be his personal spiritual mentor for over 17 years where they held personal one on one conversations and yet, somehow, Wright never shared with Barack Obama what he has so willingly shared and literally sold on tapes to the entire world.

Americans don't need pundits to "tell us" what we can easily see for ourselves; Reverend Wright is completely incapable of censoring himself for 5 minutes much less 2 decades - yet Barack Obama still expects us to believe he never heard and wasn’t aware of the true sentiments of Reverend Wright.

In spite of what Obama thinks, even white stupid bitter rednecks that Believe in God, loves this Nation, support the second Amendment, Article IV Section IV against Invasion, and the rule of Law, know this much: When you take money out of your wallet and lay that money down for the same cause, week after week, month after month, year after year, for 20 years...you HAVE endorsed and believe in the Message and you have most assuredly endorsed the MESSENGER.

For 20 years Obama has supported Reverend Wright and his Radical American Hating Racist Paranoid Rants, but now that he wants to be President he throws the man under the bus alone with his Grandmother & his radical black church! The question is just how bitter is Obama at whites, and what kind of man is he that is seeks to be President? It seems that with Obama Bull Sh-t Talks and Truth, Honestly and Character walks! Its time for American voters to throw Obama under the Bus!

The most significantly telling aspect of Senator Obama’s press conference on Tuesday is that, once again, like the ABC debate, we witness a petulant and irritated Senator Obama; angry that he is being asked to take responsibility for the choices he has made regarding his personal and professional associations. Apparently Senator Obama believes his words are so magical that they alone should instantly be able to wipe clean 20 years of actions that directly contradict and disprove his excuses. Give me the names of any other politicians where we take them at their word alone. Good luck. Senator Obama decries that further questioning is “getting off message” while, conveniently, never connecting that a candidate’s beliefs and character are every bit as much a part of "the message” as policy promises.

A few short weeks ago, in Philadelphia, Senator Obama hypnotized the world into believing his grandmother was racist, Geraldine Ferraro was a racist and the American public were racists, while completely ignoring the fact that the very reason everyone had gathered in that room was due to his decision to support an Extremist Black Agenda...for 20 years. He is now attempting once again to shift the blame for this crisis onto Reverend Wright by clinging to the excuse that the Wright of today differs drastically from the Wright who led him to Jesus. Does Senator Obama not realize that we can easily recall that it was not even one year ago that Senator Obama is seen on film lauding the “current” Reverend Wright at Hampton University as “a great leader, not just for Chicago, but for all over our country”? Does he not realize that we recall that it was only 4 short months ago that Senator Obama was so pleased with the "current" Reverend Wright, that he personally placed him on his Presidential

The pig comment was so blown up out of context by the press and the McCain campaign it's ridiculous. We should expect a dirty campaign from McSame, it's politics as usual for the Republicans. Pretend to be about a small government, meanwhile creating the largest, most powerful and most expensive Federal government in US history. But I don't get why the press is helping them out. They seem to have taken McSame's whining about a press bias towards Obama seriously, to the point where they now are giving McSame a bias. Why can't the press and McSame get back to the issues? We have a mammoth overspending Federal government under Bush, a failing economy, a couple on-going wars, education and healthcare problems, and really need to ween ourselves off of oil. Which candidate will better deal with these issues? Which candidate gives us hope and vision towards a brighter future? I think it's Obama. But regardless of who you currently favor, let's get back to real issues.

What a false premise! As a Democrat I don't know any Dems who are unhappy. We realize McCain is getting his little convention bounce but it's already fading. Most people seem to forget that the electoral college is what determines the winner. You can bet the Obama people are totally on top of that, as they were on top of the delegate count during the primary. Watch the state polls and check out electoral-vote.com to see who is really winning. Obama isn't even looking at those national polls as many of us are and he isn't any more worried than McCain is. They both know it's close. I trust Obama to know what he's doing - he's proven it on the campaign trail.

Hey, I am no more gloomy than I ever was. What, with blow-out budget and trade deficits, a war that never ends, a candidate for vice-president that believes the earth is 6,000 years old, and the big issues revolving around lipstick and lapel pins, what's to be gloomy about?

It became crystal clear in 2004 that the majority of American voters were brainless. I decided at that time to check out of the politics scene, and I did. Barack called me back, asking me to move beyond my cynicism. So, I signed up (telling my significant other at the beginning of the primaries that Obama was too intelligent to be elected President).

And here we are. Will the election be decided by lapel pins and lipstick? Probably. Ever since the "masses" began voting for President (1820s), the more ignorant candidate has generally won the most votes. Andrew Jackson, a borderline illiterate, easily defeated John Quincy Adams, a Harvard graduate, in 1828.

So it should be that McCain, finishing near the bottom of his class, and Palin, going through six colleges in six years on her way to graduation, ought to defeat Obama and Biden.

It's the way of the United States, and probably the way of the world, too.

"When Sarah Palin made the comment about the difference between a bull dog and a hockey mom, she was making a joke about herself. When Obama made the comment about the "pig" and the lipstick he was clearly trying to insult Sarah Palin."

Have you read the actual quote? There is no way to defend your accusations with a straight face.

"He and his liberal media friends can try to smooth his nasty, tasteless comments over and try to bail Obama's a$$ out again, just as they did with the Wright and Rezko scandals and the "guns and religion" comments."

Wait. I thought Obama was being given a FREE RIDE. Which is it?

"We finally have someone who is real (Sarah Palin) and people are standing up and taking notice. I'm just sorry that she isn't at the top of the ticket. She works for the people, not the party ... She is exactly what America needs."

A celebrity? Once again, you are using your own arguments against yourself. Obama a celebrity = bad. Palin a celebrity = good...

Billw: When I said "Note the crowd laughs! Obviously they knew McCain was calling Hillary a pig" I was BEING SARCASTIC.

The crowd laughing there means McCain was calling Hillary a pig as much as the audience at Obama's speech laughing means he was calling Palin a pig. That is, it doesn't.

Just as "Tha crowd laughed at McCain comparing the remake of the health care plan to putting lipstick on a pig, NOT at Clinton being called a pig", so the crowd at Obama's speech laughed at him calling McCain's relabelling of his policies as change as being like putting lipstick on a pig, NOT at Palin being called a pig.

This is not about Lipsticks and pigs, This is about the politics of fear and devision. Obama was right when he said that the republicans will try to narrow the Debate. That is exactly what they are doing because the only platform they have left is Slander, fear and Devision.

Lets here some issues for once why dont we? Saying Obama is sexist is so out of line and context its shamefull. They also said he wanted to teach sex ed to kinder gardeners, Where as he wanted to Teach them how to deal with unwanted Sexual Advances again taken out of Context...

I wish people would wake up and demand a Debate about the problems that are really going on in our country, insted of falling for this dog and pony show.

Sergeant of Marines and TomB
Do you honestly think McCain would do a better job when it comes to the military. Just because he is from a military family doesn't make him a good commander in chief. His own biography proclaims him to be a womanizer and rebel. His temper and mouth proceed himself when he doesn't get his way. Vietnam Vetrans are against McCain for his Jane Fonda propoganda tapes that he did when capture. Did deal with the enemy for his own healthcare. Nickname "Songbird". Won't declassify POW/MIA debriefings from Vietnam so the families can have the information because it obviously doesn't show him in a good light. What is he hiding.

A month ago I thought that it didn't matter who won. I thought they were both good.

Having watched events the past two weeks I am greatly disappointed in McCain. The barrage of smears, blatant lies, and hypocrisy coming from his camp has shown that he is NOT the man of honor that he used to be.

I hope that America does not reward this behavior by electing him president. If we don't start holding our candidates to a higher standard the quality of our government will only get worse.

Bottom lines:
Obama could have made the issue go away with an apology to Palin, he didn't.
Obama could have chosen Hillary for his Vice President running mate, he didn't.
Obama said he was going to lead an upright campaign as an agent of change, he isn't.
In matters of judgement, views on women, and arrogance... Obama continues to demonstrate he isn't ready to lead. He has less effective leadership experience than Palin and it shows.
As Vice President, Palin will represent more change and inspire more women and young women than any American leader has ever done.
That is the bottom line.
Obama, you don't respect women and you lost my vote.

"Lipstick on a pig" was used by John McCain not too long ago. The video of it (google it
"my friends")was on The Jon Stuart show several nights ago. Jeez, you Republicans are dumber than mud fences. Where's Sarah people? Perhaps being schooled 24/7 so she doesn't embarrass you all. The barracuda can't even handle questions from the public. What a wimp!

I think Obama has carefully selected a empty rhetoric to deflect attention from the fact that he has no message on what he will do for healthcare, the economy, education.

Every charge levelled against Obama is met with the a self-righteous charge of racism. If it wasn't so sad it would be funny, this type of behavior has been a mainstay of neocons complaining about the right.

It was Obama who made THAT speech into a red-meat tossing event, not Palin, McCain or the news media.

Obama led up to his "lipstick" comment by plagiarizing, nearly verbatim, a cartoon by Tom Toles. This is PROOF his speech was scripted. Then he led into the "lipstick" comment which was obviously also scripted. He stuttered, as he always does, before saying something that makes him uncomfortable.

His audience burst into laughter. THEY knew what the comment was about, yet you can sit here in Crimestop and deny the obvious. Their chanting after the comment doesn't convince you?

Then Obama entertains us with another colorful metaphor about "old fish." You don't think that he or his speech writer weren't creating imagery of McCain's age? You're totally daft!

The next day, Obama was compelled to answer the charge, and assembled a Clown Brigade to giggle away his gaffe.

But "lipstick" had become a RECURRING democrat theme ever since Palin uttered the energizing catch-phrase. Russ Carnahan used it when introducing Biden. NARAL used it on their website. The blogosphere buzzed about "lipstick" all week.

You are totally full of bovine feces to proclaim this is "much ado about nothing." The harm here isn't that Obama made a joke that didn't go over well outside his congregation. The issue is that he LIED about the joke being spontaneous and not being directed at Palin.

It doesn't matter ONE BIT whether John McCain or a hundred other politicians have used that phrase. What matters is what OBAMA meant at the time and the context in which HE used it.

You are just a facilitator for another mendacious progeny of a female canine presidential candidate, just like Bill Clinton.

Maybe Obama was referring to Palin on the sly, but this really is minutia. The only reason I have to vote for McCain (as opposed to staying home altogether) is his record. That's it. The way he has run his campaign has not been honorable. On the other hand, Obama is not a choice for me: BAIPA, Camp Obama, FISA switcheroo, earmarks for buddies, faith-based initiative expansion, Germany...Good Lord! Someone would have to put a gun to my head to make me pull that lever.

When Sarah Palin made the comment about the difference between a bull dog and a hockey mom, she was making a joke about herself. When Obama made the comment about the "pig" and the lipstick he was clearly trying to insult Sarah Palin. He and his liberal media friends can try to smooth his nasty, tasteless comments over and try to bail Obama's a$$ out again, just as they did with the Wright and Rezko scandals and the "guns and religion" comments. Obama is a low-life corrupt politician from Chicago who has no integrity or class. His true colors keep showing through, and the citizens of this country are starting to wake up. His smoke and mirrors game is ending and he doesn't know what to do. Poor King Obama is being dethroned .... We finally have someone who is real (Sarah Palin) and people are standing up and taking notice. I'm just sorry that she isn't at the top of the ticket. She works for the people, not the party ... She is exactly what America needs.

aengil:
" *sigh* Billw, I'm not saying McCain was calling Hillary a pig. I'm making fun of the insistence that Obama was calling Palin a pig. "

You said at the outset:
"Note the crowd laughs! Obviously they knew McCain was calling Hillary a pig."

This clearly ipmlies McCain called Clinton a pig. Tha crowd laughed at McCain comparing the remake of the health care plan to putting lipstick on a pig, NOT at Clinton being called a pig, as you surmise. Please see:

Lipstick give me a break, Its the Economy stupid. Its actual math. MCCain equals continuation and expansion of tax cuts to top 2% and continuation of stimulus checks. This is McBush with lipstick on. This equals Trillions of dollar deficit. Obama is the only one with a plan. Maverick politics what ever I quess you have to change the definition to mental retardation.

I think McCain has carefully selected a human shield to deflect attention from the fact that he has no message on what he will do for healthcare, the economy, education.

We've all seen pictures of terrorists grabbing a woman, here he has pulled in a woman with her special needs infant held out front.

Every charge levelled against McCain/Palin is met with the a self-righteous charge of sexism. If it wasn't so sad it would be funny, this type of behavior has been a mainstay of neocons complaining about the left.

Jessica,
Could you please pronounce, what is exactly Obama's policy is? You said you are following his policy, but what exactly you like in his policy? And, actually, does he have any policy, with exception of higher taxes?

Ken
You can't be seriously be making a comment about Obama reading off a teleprompter. You know they all do right? Obama writes his own speechs. I would love to see one that McCain or Palin wrote. Christ, it is obvious to anybody with a scintilla of intelligence that Palin has not been allowed to go off script, and will have very limited access to the press.

What I want to know is why every time someone mentions a pig, the republican's assume their talking about Palin? A little defensive there?

The term could just as easily be aimed at McCain, Bush, Rove, or any of the right wingers blogging on here in an effort to legitimize an absurd, false allegation. All these guys have been pigs longer than Palin.

By Lee :Here's the funny part, I know who the socialist is, and its NOT McCain nor Palin. And I'm not voting for the socialist. Nor am I voting for the cowardly, racist, bigoted muslim who will "africanize" our foreign policy. Go back to little Africa NoBama.

I'm more often than not a one-issue voter, I admit it. If you run your candidacy stating that you are against a woman's right to choose then I will vote against you JUST for that ONE reason. When Sara Palin was chosen to run with McCain and I found that she also with McCain are against a women's right to choose, that was the end of that. Sara isn't for women, she wants to take away our rights. This is one WHITE WOMAN that did NOT add up in the polls shifting to McCain because of Palin. I was a teenager when abortion was against the law and two of my friends died going to "back-alley abortionists" because they were "desparate". Outlawing of abortions will NOT stop them from happening and only cause more "crime".

McCain-Palin goes further than my one issue not to vote for them because it is the Republicans that makes my job harder where I work for a large corporation that outsources work overseas. Each time I need something changed in my software I have to fax a request to "India" and when I try to talk to any of them, I can't understand their "broken" English to explain to them that they "messed up" what I asked them to do!!!! I get 1% raises because of the economy, my utilities are higher, it costs more to drive my car back and forth to work, I can't afford new clothes because the cost of living has risen higher faster than the past 3 raises I've gotten. My health care goes up every year and erases whatever raise I got so I've been sitting still in my income almost since the time Bush took office.

And so here we are calling each other names instead of solving some problems.

We all want the same thing. We only disagree on how to get there. We all want healthcare, we all want jobs, we all want the war in Iraq to be over and our soldiers back home, we all want a strong country.

Just discuss the points and WHY you think your candidate can solve the problem.

The Republicans have nothing to say about the issues, so they make an issue up out of nothing. Sounds to me like elementary school kids who didn't do their homework calling the ones who did a bunch of sissies. But, you know truth is, the more I read about Gov Palin the more she seems like lipstick on a bully.

What is the matter with all of you. You are writing like children. All Republicans are not one way and all Democrats are not another. Talking bout Obama not speaking about this issues is not close to true. The media is just hyping the stupid lipstick comment instead of talking about the issues the candidates are informing us about. Stop hating these people and hating each other. The personal attacks on Obama that aren't true are disgraceful, at least attack policy and issues and use facts, you just sound like morons. To Democrats stop lumping all Republicans together no matter how repulsive some of the comments are on here. It just doesn't help anything. Honestly though it is so crazy to me that the right (and I mean pundits, candidates, i.e. people in the public eye) can literally bash anyone they want and say anything nasty; but as soon as something is not even said about one of them they go into this indignant mode. Its all sickening. I am voting for Obama because I like his policy, I know he is intelligent and I follow his politics. I used to greatly respect Senator McCain, he has now become a pandering, sad old man.

Here's the funny part, I know who the socialist is, and its NOT McCain nor Palin. And I'm not voting for the socialist. Nor am I voting for the cowardly, racist, bigoted muslim who will "africanize" our foreign policy. Go back to little Africa NoBama.

Answer to The Real Truth comment:
You are absolutely wrong playing race card again and again.
White People of America not against the Presidential Candidate with a different skin color, they are against the Presidential Candidate, who thinks that only his skin color automatically qualifies him as a President of the United States.
White People of America would probably vote for Colin Powell or Condolissa Rise, but not for Mr. Empty Suite who shooting empty phrases about how bad everything in America, while his own achievement is only can be describe, as Community Organizer.
I am sorry, if I will heart your personal feelings, but you are not "The Real Truth", you are "The Real Lie" and only thing you really care is to get your candidate to the pedestal.

I think its kinda funny that all these people get riled up about a silly comment like this, question someone's judgment, say they can't be President, that they hate women.

Have you taken a look at the outright lies the GOP has been spreading? Bridge to nowhere, earmarks, ebay plane, etc. These are not stretches in truth, they are outright untruths...otherwise known as a lie.

I would rather have someone who makes a joke about pigs...or lipstick...or whatever the hell it was....than someone who claims they have honor; but straight-face lies to the country. We've had enough lies already.

Here is a solution. Focus on rebuilding our energy 'pipeline'. All of the above, drill, drill, drill, erect windmills, build nuclear and anything else so that the revenues and profits remain in the USA. Jobs created here for Americans, profits here and thus taxes for the government coffers and also freeze government spending.

----------

Haha.. yeah, drill, drill, drill! Even though drilling will bring us no actual oil until 2020 and will have no impact on gas prices. Hey, if we cover it up by listing it along with a bunch of actual promising technologies, maybe sucker voters will stuff some money into our wallets.

I loved Palin's justification, too. 'Just because drilling won't solve our problems, that's no reason not to do it!' Here's the reason not to do it: it is nothing more than a gift to special interests, and those interests are incompatible with the interests of the American people.

I dislike false rumors as much as anyone, but can a member of the press please confirm why Sara Palin is not at least 7 months pregnant in this public Governors photo taken with President Bush in February 2008? Her baby was supposedly born on April 18, 2008.

I dislike false rumors as much as anyone, but can a member of the press please confirm why Sara Palin is not at least 7 months pregnant in this public Governors photo taken with President Bush in February 2008? Her baby was supposedly born on April 18, 2008.

Bush has brought America to the end of it's once mighty glory days. It doesn't much matter who wins at this point because neither candidate can restore what we've lost. The debt is too large, our reputation is gone, we are fighting a war we can't back out of, our economy is in meltdown, the corporations are in charge, the unemployment rate is 6%, there is discontent within the country ... and on and on.

*sigh* Billw, I'm not saying McCain was calling Hillary a pig. I'm making fun of the insistence that Obama was calling Palin a pig.

It's as absurd to say McCain was calling Hillary a pig, when he was explicitly referring to her healthcare policy, as it is to insist Obama was calling Palin a pig, when he was explicitly referring to McCain's describing his policies as 'change'.

I am a McCain supporter, but I am embarrassed and irritated at the juvenile stupidity of the McCain camp in their (self)righteous lipstick indignation. How absurdly childish! So flippin' what if SP is called a pig? Is she such a wilting flower that she can't stand some mild playground name calling?
This whole thing is stupid and sophomoric. I DO believe that Obama was making a slight jab and mildly clever play on words. And I honestly don't care.
Of course, this campaign the Democrats are exercising the same hypocrisy: the whole business about McCain's definition of the rich as being income over $5M was an idiotic playground whine-fest. Anybody who heard the original comment could not possibly conclude that it was anything other than sarcasm--McCain's attempt at arguing to absurdity the politics of dividing rich vs. middle class vs. poor. He had a point to make and used humor as the medium--much like Obama's lipstick.
I have little patience or time for adults from either camp behaving like school children. Both of you (Obama & McCain) need to grow up and give us a debate on your differing approaches to governing!
I learned from George Bush--if a politician seems like a jack_ss during the campaign, they'll be a much more powerful and a better groomed jack_ss once in office. Neither of the candidates should take our votes for granted. Some of us just might stay home if they keep embarrassing us like this!

I know Obama did a lot of drugs with his friends growing up and it would seem he has an addictive personality.. from the drinking and drugs to the smoking... Addicts are self centered people by nature and everything is all about them. So, I guess he has exchanged one addition for another over time... now it is power and ambition.. I would be happier if he'd just have Monica service him and stay in Chicago.. Monica may like it.. it's called the windy city afterall.. it always blows

Ok, the lipstick comment is blow way out of proportion. Heck, we all know for a fact that he could have just been talking about liberal men. They wear lipstick all the time.
Isn't that funny now? Tee hee and all that crap.
Looking at the tons of posts here, yeah, it IS an important thing when a canidate smears another. If all you liberals want to talk meazningful things, rip on obama for making the comment. Oh, and quit the childish name calling. It really makes you look irrelavant.

Aengil:
"Sorry. but you're either incapable of understanding or dishonest. The subject clearly was McCain describing his policies as change."

Like Obama, you try to deceive, but we BOTH know what McCain was referring to. It was a makeover of Clinton's health plan in 1993. Your devious tactics don't work any better than those of your hero, Obama.

Obama uses the phrase 'lipstick on a pig' describing McCain's labelling of his policies as 'change'. He explicitly refers to McCain's policies, and McCain's calling those policies 'change'. That's what he's talking about. He does not mention Palin. The audience laughs.

The whole Moose and Squirrel show is wearing a little thin. I gave up watching saturday morning cartoons a long time ago. Next we will be hearing the GOP referring to the democrat ticket and Boris and Natasha. Lets see how Charlie handles his role as Mr. Peabody interviewing Ms. Palin tonight!

Cognitive bias! Oh boy, here we go. Just when you thought it was safe to come out.
Now I know how you are all able to ignore, or rationalize, Obama in his entirety.

I keep wondering when the left will finally connect all the dots on Obama's life that lead to... self service (to be kind). It is called "reality denial". Or, if you have connected them, but support him anyway, you have "reality avoidance".

Yeah, I think I may have just made those up. Obama fans will relate. We need new terms to understand you all.

Pull your heads up out of ... the sand... and educate yourselves. Start by watching last Weednesday evening of the Republican convention. Please!

caroline wrote:
"LIPSTICK.........??? I live in McCain's state of Arizona. He has been my senator for many years. Arizona has low pay, few jobs, bad education system with low pay for teachers and illegals everywhere taking what few jobs are left. If that looks good to you than vote McCain, he is your guy"

you obama supporters are a joke. you act as if your candidate has all the answers but i gurauntee you 80% dont even know his policies. "He stands for change!!"....So what change (issue) do you like best?...."Oh, i dont know, i just know he's gonna change things!"

both parties are evil, but you idiots (republicans/democrates) seem to think your party/candidate has it all figured out....morons

At least McCain has shown he will work with anyone to get things done. I'm really getting sick of partison politicians(Obama) getting in the way of progress

what's going on with the deomcratic party. Biden went on record saying that hillary would have been a beter choice for vp. Obama is attacking The NUMBER 2 on the republican ticket. I hate to say it but the democratic party is starting to fold. I can't live another four years under repblican leadership. At that this point both canidates are blowing a lot a steam out of their A**es but we cant have four years of tough talk and mismanagment from repblicans.im choosing the lesser of two evils. so the democratic party needs to re-organize and get it togther!!!

By the year 2012 McCain will be dead by then LOL,Palin will be chasing Polo Bears,and PIGS with LIP-STICKS,LOL again. Than all you RACIST LOW-LIVES can have the Amreica's Greatest Family.HILLARY,BILL,CHELSEA CLINTON,and BILL other wife MONICA!!!!!!!!.NJ1.

anonymous:
"Billw - Same proof you have that Obama meant it as you want to take it - none. But McCain did use the same phrase in a speech about Hillary's policies, so he should be judged by the same standards, right?"

As your supreme Commander and Cheif, I will cut military spending and cut our armed forces. Afterall, after I am elected there will be NO WAR. Becuase everyone loves me.

After I am elected POTUS we will all have jobs, have free eneergy for our cars and homes. Everyone will go to college for free and get free healthcare. The world will love us ( even France! ) sexism and racism will cease to exist.
And best of all, you can all worship me as the devine one who has delviered you from evil and 4 more years of the Devil... AKA BUSH

The price- give up your freedom, give up all of your money and give it to me ( the govt will take care of you afterall that is what communism is all about )and bow before the hand of the great "O" ( Obama not Oprah! )

Very Funny Article.... You are part of the "much ado about lipstick" crowd just by writing this article. If you are serious, find something useful to do. And yes, just by responding I am falling into the same trap all of you are. Move on!
What Obama meant is known to him and his writers only. What we know is what we perceive. That is communication. It is not what you say but how it is received that is often more important.

So let us not judge intentions but actions. It was a careless action not because he use the word lipstick but because he did not clarify to the crowd what he meant by it. i.e. He was misleading his own crowd. They are politicians for crying out loud! What did you expect? Honesty? DUH!

After a few moments of reading the republican 'defense', I have to pause myself and take a deep breath.
Why is no one yammering about Palin calling her self a dog? A pitbull no less.
I am 42 years old and have heard thae 'lipstick on a pig' saying as far back as I can remember.
Hey, what's the difference between a republican voter and a democrat voter?
Intellectual capacity to see through pathetic 'news' stories on a slow day.

Republicants, (now I am name calling).
Get over yourselves and your ineffectual leadership and hand over the reins to someone else.
I could go on, but I imagine you won't see anything but the slop presented to you by the media, placed directly in front of your blinders.
Good luck.
I await an equally annoying retort, followed by the defensive cries of and angry threats.

"Has anyone noticed that Barrack sounds alot like Bush when he speaks without a teleprompter in front of him? He kind of has a hard time formulating a sentence. Maybe he's not so smart like everyone wants you to think he is."

Yes, that's why he was president of Harvard Law Review, because he's "not smart."

Here we go again. The right-wingers here are so contradictory. McCain used the same "Lipstick on a Pig" when responding to Hillary Clinton a while back. We all know Obama's talking about policy, not Palin; yet you jump on the BS bandwagon because you want to take advantage of the spin opportunity. Get off of it alreaqady. Are the right-wingers really this stupid or do they asume that we are. More do as I say but not as I do politics from the right. Palin's ..."practice abstinence, but give my daughter a break" modus. John McCain... "I voted 90% of the time with Pres Bush". Now he tries to slime away from the real issues. I think you are all morons to think you can pass this garbage off as truths. Oh and by the way, the experience platform went out the window with George Bush and Cheney. All that experinece and look where we are today. I'd rather take my chances with a 6th grader who reads books right-side-up than with a dingbat like Bush for another term. Farewell to puppets. Obama 08.

"what most of the Obama faithful above miss is the essence of comedic timing Obama used; it was clear his intent and the audience got it, too."

Oh yeah. First it's obvious because of the word 'lipstick'. Then it's obvious because the crowd applauded. Now it's obvious because of the 'essence of comedic timing'.

But hey, it's not as if a crowd at an Obama speech would find describing McCain's calling his policies as 'change' as being like putting lipstick on a pig funny. Except... they would. Just like McCain's crowd laughed when McCain used the same line about Hillary Clinton's healthcare policy.

The comedy and crowd laughing doesn't mean Obama was calling Palin a pig any more than it means McCain was calling Hillary a pig.

Also, note how Jake Tapper of ABC news who, unlike you, was actually there wrote 'neither I nor any of my colleagues there spoke to anyone who thought Obama was calling her a pig.'

I think comments should be turned off. It only shows the rest of the world what complete morons Americans are. It does not matter who is elected because we have shown no ability to recognize and face our IMMENSE problems. No president will ever get the full support of the people and only demagogues like Bush will ever get anything done--and it won't be anything good that they do.

It took Rome about 300 years to fall but we are doing MUCH better. I'd say 50 more at the most should do it.

Dave: I vote with the retards that got us the greatest period of prosperity in our history and not the retards who have driven that wet-dream into the ground in the last eight years. Some retards get it RIGHTER (I mean 'lefter') than others.

I going to Vote for McCain/Palin. The US fall down further in the abyss. Our national Debt will climb to 15 Trillion. We going to go to war with Iran. There will be another terrorist attack. More of civil rights and eventually human rights will be limited or abolished. Our freedom of religion will be replaced with freedom of Judeo-Christian religion.

Geology will be rewritten with Earth and Universe only existed 7000 years. Biology will be changed to Creationism or Intelligent Design. In order to get a job or promoted, your employer will want your Christian religions affiliation. Also, it must be acceptable Christian affiliation.
Sorry Catholics, Mormons, Lutherans, according to many Evangelical Christians and/or Borned Again Christians, you are not Christians.

The Republican knows that in no way on God's green earth they can win the White House fairly,so what do any good looser do lies,and cheats.This is what makes America the greatest country in the world.That is why we all love America for its LYING WAYS.NJ1

Obama has a long history of putting his foot in his mouth when he is off teleprompter. He doesn't think fast on his feet and is SO SCARED he may say something that will offend someone he has to mutter through his words and then misspeaks. For someone SO BRIGHT and intelligent he is pretty dumb with his comments.

His ideas for the economy are weak at best and are just wealth redistribution. This is no solution for America but just further creates a divide between the people of this country.

I agree with a previous post on WMD.. we did find items there.. just not what the DEMS were looking for. Chemical and Biological weapons were there, we found them and they were also carried across borders before we invaded there.

I don't like war, it is truly hell on earth. I would rather avoid it if at all possible. But, when you are dealing with a terrorist nation it is the only thing that gets results. Also, results take time.. remember WWII. We were there for years and years after the war. Heck, our own country took how many years it get a proper govt going after the revolution. So, please get off the Bush Bashing.. he isn't running...

Has anyone noticed that Barrack sounds alot like Bush when he speaks without a teleprompter in front of him? He kind of has a hard time formulating a sentence. Maybe he's not so smart like everyone wants you to think he is.

Hey I've got a reality check for a lot of you idiots... If the "lipstick on a pig" comment referred to Palin, she would be the LIPSTICK on McCain's terrible policies, because that's the only way it would make sense. Obama is way too smart to make a nonsensical metaphor, sorry.

However, let's go all the way out on the limb and assume that he was calling Sarah Palin a pig. In that case, how is it sexist?

Apparently in a political race it's ok for men to sling insults at each other, but if a woman gets equal treatment, it's somehow "sexism?" That's so hilariously opposite what sexism means that the entire argument is instantly discarded.

Stop trying to play up yourselves and your candidates as the victims, republicans. It's pathetic.

Friends, compatriots, fellow-lamenters,
>> We are writing to you because of the fury and dread we have
>> feltsince the announcement of Sarah Palin as the Vice-Presidential
>> candidate for the Republican Party. We believe that this terrible
>> decision has surpassed mere partisanship, and that it is a dangerous
>> farce in the part of a pandering and rudderless Presidential
>> candidate that has a real possibility of becoming fact.
>>
>> Perhaps like us, as American women, you share the fear of what Ms.
>> Palin and her professed beliefs and proven record could lead to for
>> ourselves and for our present or future daughters. To date, she is
>> against sex education, birth control, the pro-choice
>> platform, environmental protection, alternative energy
>> development, freedom of
>> speech (as mayor she wanted to ban books and attempted to fire),
>> the separation
>> of church and state, and polar bears. To say nothing of her complete
>> lack of real preparation to become the second-most-powerful person on
>> the planet.
>>
>> We want to clarify that we are not against Sarah Palin a a woman, a
>> mother, or, for that matter, a parent of a pregnant teenager, but
>> solely as a rash, incompetent, and all together
>> devastating choice for Vice President. Ms. Palin's political views
>> are in every way a slap in
>> the face to the accomplishments that our mothers and grandmothers
>> and great-grandmothers so fiercely fought for, and that we've so
>> demonstrably benefited from.
>> First and foremost, Ms. Palin does not represent us. She does not
>> demonstrate or uphold our interests as American women. It is
>> presumed that the inclusion of a woman on the Republican ticket
>> could win over women voters. We want to disagree, publicly.
>>
>> Therefore, we invite you to reply here witha short, succinct message
>> about why you, as a woman living in this country, do not support
>> this candidate as second-in-command for our nation.Please include
>> your name (last initial is fine), age, and
>> place of residence.
>>
>> We will post your responses on a blog called "Women
>> Against Sarah Palin,"which we intend to publicize as widely as
>> possible. Please
>> send us your reply at your earliest convenience?the greater the
>> volume
>> of responses we receive, the stronger our message will be.
>> Thank you for your time and action.
>> VIVA!
>> Sincerely,
>> womensaynopalin@gmail.com
>>

Of course, if McCain said something remotely sexist, it would be all over the press in a very bad light.

Point 1: If Obama meant it in the way the crowd apparently took it (he didn't get NEARLY the response to his other analogies; the crowd knew he meant something different from his other comments), it was insulting, it was uncalled for, and it is definitely not a "change" in politics that Obama seems to want to portray.

Point 2: If Obama didn't mean it, can't he apologize for the way it SOUNDED? Can't he possibly admit he shouldn't have said something that he said? Is it possible for him, in his own eyes, to EVER be wrong? Apparently not. He will never say he was wrong about anything. Presidents make mistakes; I would like one that is not so prideful as to not ever admit he was wrong about anything, but would rather lie, convolute, twist, or whatever the truth (watch some of the videos on YouTube where he has been interviewed and they play what he said, and then he directly says he didn't say that, even though we just heard him actually say the exact words).

And by the way. Conservatives/Republicans in this race weren't the ones that started the personality/"change"/"change politics" thing, it was the Obama campaign. And now that McCain-Palin actually HAVE a personality, actually DO talk about change, and actually AREN'T doing everything entirely the same, Obama's campaign is complaining they aren't talking about "the issues." I know far better where McCain and Palin stand on the issues than I do about Obama, who has barely voted, has been a Senator for only a few years, and his biggest experience claim is being a community organizer. At least I DO know where McCain and Palin have voted in the past; I know only about Obama's character, personality, associations, and a small tiny bit of legislation in which he was almost 100% in line with the Democratic party.

But the minute I bring up associations, personality, or character, I am told I'm not talking about the issues - that's because Obama doesn't even agree with himself about the issues. But if I say that, I'm also in trouble.

I would not have chosen McCain for president out of a bunch of conservative candidates; Palin is far more conservative than he is, as am I. But McCain vs. Obama is an easy decision. At least I can trust McCain to believe in what he says and say what he believes.

To every Republican poster on here: How pathetic... yes, there was a well deserved play on on the word lipstick - one that Pail set herself up for. But the analogy only fits when you consider Palin as the lipstick and the Republican policies as the pig. McCain is the old fish wrap, and the Republican policies are the same ol' smelly fish. You're so dumb you can't even decipher a witty analogy that was meant to demean the failing Republican policies of the last 8 years. Get over your own ignorance, for the sake of "Country First"! Oh yeah, that's just another empty, meaningless slogan with no importance in the day-to-day battle for control of this country.

HYPOCRITS!!

Obama is a good man, an intelligent leader, and the right American to lead this country in a new direction. He's not the Anti-Christ, he won't abort all your babies, he won't tax your to death, and he won't take your guns away. Only in your fearful, warped, self-indulgent minds does such a person exist; not in reality, which is where you might want to start living.

If you Dem's can find a candidate with moral fiber, then we can move on to the issues. Since all you seem to be able to nominate are fictional actors, then the issue will stay on character or lack there of.

Wow. This country is really divided, isn't it? Half and half. Each should have their own country so here's the deal - conservatives - go to Alaska and split from the nation - progressives will remain in the mainland. And maybe then we can get things done.

Mik wrote:Oh and speaking of offshore drilling. Will that new oil be coming to America or will it be shipped off to Asia.

According to the TransCanada map, it goes down into Alberta (that's Canada, folks) where it branches off into the existing provincial gas network. Transcanada press releases say it "goes to North American Markets" which could either mean it continues on to the U.S. or that it gets used to produce oil from the Alberta tarsands to be sold to the lower 48 at world prices, further worsening our trade deficit. Not clear which. (Canada does ship us a lot of natural gas) The people of Alaska are not going to care as they get the money either way, but it might be good for the rest of us to find out. Any bored bloggers out there?

My issue is this once again shows how little Obama thinks before he speaks. Please understand I do not like either one of the candidates. However, Obama's apparent lack of cognizant thought processes scares me. As it stands now, my vote is for Palin and I guess McCain…..

You would have to be extremely naïve to think that Obama was not trying to be disparaging to females with his comment regardless of his attempted explanations. If you saw the video it is clear his audience was totally aware of what he meant and his motives. A somewhat clumsy attempt at a coded sleight that will certainly comeback to haunt him, despite all of his apologists in the media

I like how the dems get all bent out of shape when someone talks trash about them, yet when they do it we aren't supposed to gripe. That's typical. God i hope that Obama wins. That way when he runs us in the ground I can laugh my but off. It wont hurt me, I've been poor. But the rest of you are in for an ride!

Much ado about nothing seems to be the Republican standard. They keep reading into statements until they can distort them to their benefit. From starting wars to smearing opponents.
The following is a statement that sums up in my opinion the actions of the McCaine staffer, some ex east coast governor, that started the lipstick rounds.

Oops, now the Democrats will be all over me for making a racist comment. As much as I enjoy seeing them hoist on their own petard, can't we have some serious discussion of issues before this campaign is over?

Billw - Same proof you have that Obama meant it as you want to take it - none. But McCain did use the same phrase in a speech about Hillary's policies, so he should be judged by the same standards, right?

We all know that the John McCain and Palin ticket is a waste of time for this mighty country, but than again what can you expect from this party,and the media with nothing more but dirt,and Racist indirect comments that feed the truth about American ways of thinking,and doing. God Bless Dirty Mindless America.NJ1

Clearly, clearly this country has demonstrated how low our educational system has dropped. The mentality of the McCain/Palin supporters need to raise the bar. This is their chance to “get it”. McCain/Palin don’t get it. All they want to get is the luxury and perks of the White House, while the rest of us pay their way, while they pray away the Gay, who by the way are also fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, and even, yes, even did in Viet Nam.
Again, at the end of the day, Palin is not, not, not qualified to be President of this country, or any country for that matter. Remember, when you got to sleep at night, you want to wake up to a stable financial, health care system, and educational system – this will not happen with McCain and Palin. You will most likely wake up to more teen pregnancy, more tax debt because we are now fighting in Iran, less educational finances for our own children, no health care system at all, your social security is bankrupt and you wonder why, when you had the chance did not raise the bar, but were blindsided by the right(wrong)-wing republican bull.

from an electoral vote perspective the race is all but over there will be some momentum changes here and there but as of today it is very difficult and highly improbable that mccain will get 270 electoral votes

"John McCain says he’s about change, too — except for economic policy, health care policy, tax policy, education policy, foreign policy and Karl Rove-style politics. That’s just calling the same thing something different. You can put lipstick on a pig; it’s still a pig. You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change; it’s still going to stink after eight years.”

The point is obviously about what McCain calls "change" is really a new name for the same old thing. Any other reading makes no sense.

Well looky here would ya. Assbama gets coached by hellsbell Medamnchelle & some other of the posse to make a statement that was pretty funny, but damn stupid. So what else is new. Listen lib-dem dummies; stick to what you are good at; just lie & say he didn't say it & then it is his right to say what he didn't even though he did. Then have him make a rap song & he'll be back on top.

Watching McCain get his panties in a wad reminds me of how childish he gets when he doesn't get his way. He can say what he wants, but if someone dishes on him, it's all POW this and that. He and Palin are both serial liars, and don't have the countries best interests in their hearts. He's a troubled old man, and she's just a teleprompter with lipstick. No substance.

The press has reneged its responsibility. In two weeks since her nomination, she has not answered one questions or held one interview from press. A sit down with Charlie Gibson? Seriously.
Since when do candidates "hand pick" whom they will talk to? Since when is an interview with People Magazine considered the press? All she has done is repeat talking points of her speech. McCain has nominated someone not ready to assume leadership at this level and for that he has put himself, not his country first. The press should stop covering the McCain campaign until she steps up to the plate like every other political nominee. Can you imagine if Hillary hid from spontaneous questioning or the press. There would be outrage.

If the shoe was put on the other foot with the pig wearing lipstick...we would have put up with three days of protests on the streets with the press writing down every word about how insensitive John McCain and was a bigot he is.

It is the press that has trained the politicians how to act...you have 30 seconds to make a sound bite or they will use something else. How many times have you used Bush or Cheney or the Clintons out of context to make a funny little 30 second sound bite...now it is your beloved Obama that made a gaffe and we are suppose to look the other way..is it because he is black and does not look like the other candidates?? Can we treat him like everyone else? We have put up with 12 months of this love fest...let's see how he does when he under fire..

"The crowd of his followers confirmed (cheering) what he was referring to regardless of what the media says."

You're suffering from what's known as confirmation bias there.

You see, Obama didn't call Palin a pig. He didn't even mention her. But you, looking at the crowd cheering, are looking for evidence to confirm your bias and you say "they're cheering because he called her a pig!"

Except... crowds cheer during all of Obama's speeches. A lot. Usually because they agree with what he's saying. In this case, he was saying that John McCain describing his policies as change is like putting lipstick on a pig. Sounds like something an Obama crowd would cheer to me.

But oh no, says you, no, they were cheering because he said "lipstick" after Palin said "lipstick" before, and because he said the word "pig" as well he was calling Palin a pig and that's why they were cheering! Yeah! It's not as if they'd cheer him making fun of McCain's policies is it?

Except it is.

I think you need to go and work on your critical thinking skills a bit.

"leochen24551 wrote, "I'm a John McCain supporter... Becoming the next President doesn't come from clean politics or clean campaigns... Complaining suggests that you don't have what it takes to win. Whiners and complainers never look good, regardless of their merit...""

???? Who was it that was whining? Who was it that took a common coloquialism (used to point out McCain's hypocrisy, by the way) & said "Waahh! He's calling us names!"?

mcshame got slimed by bush in 2000. It was disgraceful. Some of the most disgusting and foul political smears and lies anyone had ever witnessed. Until now. mcshame had a choice. He could be honorable, run a campaign of ideas and see how he stacked up. But he knows Americans are smart enough to see that his ideas are inferior so he chose the way of bush. His outright lies make bush seem tame. His disregard for truth, decency, honesty, inegrity are so disgusting it makes me want to vomit. No wonder Americnas don't pay attention to politics anymore. He is a disgrace to his race. mcshame is giving us white people a bad reputation with his filthy lying ways.

Posted by: Marcus | September 11, 2008 12:38 PM Why are you so afraid to just say "I'm a republican and I've supported a failed administration"? Then move on and try to do something good for America. Why keep supporting failure?

Hey Marcus - I am a Republican - I do support George Bush - And I think he HAS done a great job under the circumstances for the last 8 years. Dealing with Terrorists and their cousins the America Hating Liberals at the same time is a pretty tough job.

"The crowd of his followers confirmed (cheering) what he was referring to regardless of what the media says."

Yeeees... you're suffering from what's known as confirmation bias there.

You see, Obama didn't call Palin a pig. He didn't even mention her. But you, looking at the crowd cheering, are looking for evidence to confirm your bias and you say "they wouldn't do that if he wasn't calling her a pig!"

Except... crowds cheer during all of Obama's speeches. A lot. Usually because they agree with what he's saying. In this case, he was saying that John McCain describing his policies as change is like putting lipstick on a pig. Sounds like something an Obama crowd would cheer to me.

But oh no, says you, no, they were cheering because he said "lipstick" after Palin said "lipstick" before, and because he said the word "pig" as well he was calling Palin a pig and that's why they were cheering! Yeah! It's not as if they'd cheer him making fun of McCain's policies, is it?

Riiiiiight. I think you need to go and work on your critical thinking skills a bit.

Bad judgement?
Lemme see. Did McCain crash one plane, No.
Two planes, Nope. How about three? Four?
He crashed 5 FIVE planes!!!

Bad judgement???? Who kept putting that clown up in the air? THAT was the guy with bad judgement.
That the RNC would pick him? THAT was bad judgement!
That they thought he had any honor or dignity left?? THAT was bad judgement!

That you would think he's any different from Bush,.....NOW THAT'S REALLY BAD JUDGEMENT!!!!

The election is about the issues, but the CAMPAIGN is not. Really, are there Americans out there who are so ignorant that they do not know how Obama and McCain would respond to various issues? Anyone with a shred of intelligence already knows where the politicians are coming from. Even the debates are a sham. They aren't designed to educated us...WE ALREADY KNOW! They are designed for entertainment and to show personalities, not policies.

For example, "Pigs with lipstick" isn't an issue, but it *is* an example of how an innocent comment may be taken. It shows how a candidate doesn't carefully consider his words...or how he DID carefully consider his words, either of which has significant meaning regarding his ability to relate to some or all Americans.

Americans are hooked on trash and garbage. We live on junk food, we watch worthless junk on television, and we read mindless garbage in the newspapers, and we LOVE it. We devour it. If John McCain and Sarah Palin succeed in smearing and lying their way into the White House, we will have precisely the president and vice president we want. And we will deserve it.

We've had eight years of a pair of lying cretins in the White House. What do you say, gang? Let's load up on more worthless junk. Let's go for four more. Let's put this fragile experiment in democracy out of its misery--once and for all.

I think people need to find something better to do than smack down obama for saying something silly, but also stop touting him like he is some kind of american hero. What has obama done in his time in the Senate to prove that he is worthy of being the Commander in Chief. Absolutely nothing. I am an Infantry Marine and also spent many of those years guarding nuclear weapons, and I can honestly say from a military perspective that his foreign policy will both be ineffective and damaging to our national security. Iran is without a doubt a security threat and needs to be treated as such. The media loves to tout the fact that we never found Weapons of Mass Destruction in the middle east, and I can tell you first hand that is incorrect. My Marine unit uncovered an underground bunker housing 500 artillery shells with nerve agent warheads. Last time I checked a WMD is chemical, biological and nuclear capabilities so nerve agent definitely falls within that category. So, we are in the middle east for a good reason because they do pose a serious threat to us and our allies. So don't smack down Obama for silly rhetoric, smack him down on his lax foreign policy stances as our potentially future Commander in Chief.

Let's be fair here I am, or I should say was a Democrat for the last 22 years, until the bone heads in our party picked the wrong person for President.

As for being fair, I can not find a fellow Democrat that does not snicker at the lip stick on a pig reference and not relate it to Palin. Yes, I am aware that he was speaking about McCain and I watched the interview; however, you can tell that he wanted to pull back that comment when he said it and then when the crowd went crazy he then became more confident. Do I think he meant to do it. Not sure, but Obama is a master orator and it would not be beyond him to make a intentional comment seem very innocent. Not to mention after his comments about Clinton and the china throwing I see a pattern of sexism in this person and it would not surprise me that he calculated the comment. Big Mistake either way after Palin came out with the lip stick and pit bull comment. He should have known better and used a more eloquent phrase like maybe Shakespeare's rose statement.
Now for the first time in my life I am openly campaigning for the GOP candidate and I am embarrassed to say that I am democrat.
Bring back Clinton she is and was the better Choice.

LIPSTICK.........??? I live in McCain's state of Arizona. He has been my senator for many years. Arizona has low pay, few jobs, bad education system with low pay for teachers and illegals everywhere taking what few jobs are left. If that looks good to you than vote McCain, he is your guy.

Here is a solution. Focus on rebuilding our energy 'pipeline'. All of the above, drill, drill, drill, erect windmills, build nuclear and anything else so that the revenues and profits remain in the USA. Jobs created here for Americans, profits here and thus taxes for the government coffers and also freeze government spending.

No need for redistribution of wealth like Obama proposes (remember that 40% of the 95% will be receiving checks, not a redution in taxes since they do not currently pay federal taxes), no need to stimulate the economy with new tax cuts. (Remember that under Bush fewer people pay taxes than under Clinton and the higher income workers pay a greater percentage of the tax burden than under Clinton - the socialists including BO need to get over themselves - move to China). We simply need to focus on the energy problem - an Eisenhower interstate type emphasis.

Not to mention our dollar will rise as that nearly Trillion $ remains at home.

Once this is done, we can then help the Europeans (again!!!) become free of Russian oil. But the Europeans will just whine instead of saying thankyou.

All of the other stuff is nonsense - not everyone should go to college, some should go to vocational school. Too many college graduates simply diminishes the value of a BA degree. Immigration - adopt the same rules as Europe - no citizenship, no visa, then no school for your kids, no apartment, no medical - GO HOME!!! And yes, they are allowed to ask if have citizenship or a Visa. The ACLU has to go, tort reform - we are sue your butt crazy over here.

By Matthew Moore
Obama knew as well as anyone listening to him that Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has the market cornered on lipstick for this campaign season, even if she puts hers on a pit bull.

By invoking lipstick, Obama invoked Palin. Despite his protestations later, he knew it, or certainly should have known it.

And even though the line got Obama a big laugh from the partisan crowd, which clearly drew the connection, he blew it.

Maybe Obama or his advisers thought he had cover because they knew McCain had used the line in relation to Clinton. If so, they were wrong.

Obama is the one with the image problem, unfairly or not, concerning his dealings with women -- the nettlesome aftereffect of his Democratic primary battle with Clinton.

Also, I had read some info on the internet and wanted to know if anyone else had any info about it. I read and heard that McCain had a hand in getting the sale of Anheiser-Busch done. Missouri didn't want it and the news last night said that there is a lawsuit to stop the sale. McCain's wife owns beer distribution company and stock in A-B and therefore would supposedly make millions off the sale. I wonder how long it would take the Belgium company to move the company therefore numerouse people losing jobs. Also if it becomes belgium owned what will they do with the flag and eagle emblem????? McCain(Bush jr.) economic plan= America for sale for profit. Rich get richer and the poor get poorer! Wake up America
Obama/Biden/Clinton/Sebelius!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Since Obama received the Democratic Nomination for President, this whole white house race has become more racist than before. People in their right minds will choose a President because for the issues. Most Americans, of all races, want to see the war end soon. Most Americans, of all races, want to see a new energy policy that will make us independent from other countries(not just for a short while but forever). All Americans, of all races, want a better educational system for our kids. All Americans want to see a better economy for ourselves now and for our kids in the furture.

The problem is most of White American's don't want a black man in the white house.
It's ashame that American's, for all that we have done and been through together, their are still American's who can't see past the color of a person's skin.

If Obama is as smart as he is positioned, he would never have made the lipstick comment.

I too would love to hear about the issues, but it seems like Obama has no actual political plan. His tax plan will only hurt small businesses and he changes the rest of his views nearly every week. Democrats want to slam Palin for changing views on federal spending for a bridge, but are quick to forget that since Obama defeated Hillary, he has changed his view on nearly everything to become more moderate.

THIS IS THE REAL STRAIGH TALK EXPRESS:
.
People who believe in all this symbolic emotional nonsense that is being dispensed by the hardcore right wing as part of an attempt in this country to discredit Bema-you are being taken to the cleaners, and stripped of your ability to think for yourself
There are bad people out there in the yacht clubs and palatial estates of America, and they want to hide the real serious facts of the war industry, the fleecing of the wealth of the American people, the slaughter and fleecing of the poor of the earth, the stealing of natural resources of the plane: further more its some kind of perverse game for them to enhance their own absurd wealth, by the destruction of the earth as an habitable environment now and in the future for many species including are own.
Since
Realize please these are the real problems- they are cultivating this evil agenda by lies and manipulation. You, my friend, are their target.

They spread a bunch of unanalyzed, emotional symbolic “facts” about Obama.
The purpose of this is to keep changing the conversation about what’s really important: with absurd intangible and, irrelevant childish nonsense- purely emotional and symbolic- Flags, and Plegger, foolish religions, Reverend Wright, mid 60"s radicals from nearly 50 year ago and Pigs with Lipstick- junk, crap, a witches stew mental slime.
This stuff is spread by their hired PR armies- some of whom are subtle and intelligent, some of who are complete morons

I would ask you to listen to Sean Insanity for a few hours on his radio program on Fox: here is a very simple minded man who repeats the same meaningless, symbolic nonsense every day- I am sure he was hired buy Fox as a way to go after the reaally mentally incapacitated. His intellectual deficits are appalling- I believe Murdoch cynically and cleverly see him as a good match for the pro wrestling crowd. Maybe it’s a result of his disdain for the Irish that was part of his upbringing.
You understand Murdoch (more then likely an atheist what ever he says) read philosophy at Cambridge- he’s no idiot like the people he hires- he merely disdains you like the rest of that crowd. Its maliciously enjoyable for him to m increase his wealth, by manipulating those he despises.

ONCE AGAIN, taking what we've all been saying about the Repulicans and acting like it was yours' If Republicans were in school they'd be thrown out for plagerism and cheating.

We all know that Bush has been "handled" He's too stupid to do anything by himself. Next you'll be saying Obama is in big oils pockets or that he's responsible for the failed war.

I just talked to a friend in Texas and he sais that the Dems are responsible for the rampant spending in Bush's first term.
You guys are amazing. Truth is right there in front of you and you just watch it go buzzing and spinning right on by.

Why are you so afraid to just say "I'm a republican and I've supported a failed administration"? Then move on and try to do something good for America. Why keep supporting failure?

I actually think it was a big mistake for the Republicans to cry foul about this non-event. It was just an attack on McCain's economic policies that would have been quickly forgotten (and "lipstick on a pig" is a really common saying that even McCain has used) but thanks to all the attention it got people are going to forever associate "lipstick on a pig" with the McCain-Palin campaign. I think the image of a McCain-Palin as a pig with lipstick is going to be hard for people to forget, especially given how true it is on so many levels.

McCain campaign is stooping to the same low gutter politics that Bush employed. The McCain of 2000 would despise the McCain of 2008. Does McCain want the whitehouse so bad that he ruins the credibility that he once had as a maverick? I guess so.
I'm voting for Obama.

This race isn't anywhere close to over, and McCain isn't sitting as pretty as the press makes it sound. If you listen to them long enough, you'd think McCain had a gaping lead on November 3rd.

As for the lipstick comment, I don't think this hurts Obama nearly as much as it hurts McCain. Coupled with the reporting on his Education attack ad yesterday, I think the nation is starting to get a strong message that Obama is the high road candidate and McCain is the low road candidate. Obama obviously wants to foster that impression, because he is unwilling to sling any mud back at them.

If this election is about issues, Obama is the only one talking about them. If it's about character, Obama is the only one showing any.

Anyone who doesn't see through the Obama facade should turn in their voter registration card! The crowd of his followers confirmed (cheering) what he was referring to regardless of what the media says. All of you snobby self centered women's rights followers bashing Palin have been revealed for what you really are. Only those women who toe your line are accepted! If she was blue and not red you'd all be drooling! Why don't you cut your stuttering, stammering, foot in the mouth candidate loose to debate McCain on the issues? He's offered and Obama is avoiding it like the plague. Obama is a coward! Heaven help us if he's elected!

We all know that McCain loves women; look how many he's had. And he didn't stop loving 'em just because his now ex-wife was hospitalized. He even loves their organs so much, he calls women by "c---"
He also respects them to the point that they shouldn't get the same salary as men.
So, yeah, he's not sexist....

Dear Hillary supporters,
Enough whining. You didn't make it. In a very short time, either McCain or Obama will become president. Get off your high horse, and pick the lesser of the two evils (as you see it). It's quite obvious you care more about your pride than about the recovery of country you live in.

Obama has been given a free ride for 19 months & been unvetted about Rezko, Ayers, & Rev. W[rong]. He is so mortified by Sean Hannity that he's brought him up numerous times for having unearthed the Ayers connection & emphasized the Wright racist rants---Sean has actually done the country a favor & BHO keeps scratching that scab in public---now he's doing the same with Palin after flipping Hillary the bird.

He thinks he's so clever he can get away with a snarky stand-up schtick line about "lipstick" when he had the audience tittering even before the "punch line." But he went there and now he's paying the price and he's WHINING about Palin.

I think, that Obama is not only looser, but he is also done as a politician. And quite frankly, I think, he deserves it. America can't take four years of Marxism. Wealth redistributing was proven nonworking in many different countries, and I don't see any reason to start doing it here, on american soil. If Democrats (Should I say Liberals?) want to impose Socialism on us, let them first study the History. Other words, if you are an ignorant, and graduated from Harvard, you still an ignorant. McCain/Palin may not be an ideal team, but it does not mean we have to vote for people who will bring this nation to state much lower, than it is right now.

You know, Jane Swift, the acute protector of all things good and decent, ascended to the Gov role from Lt Gov in Mass as the Gov at that time abandoned his role as Gov. But at election time when it was time for Swift to run for Gov on her own merits, her own party wouldn't even support her and dropped her off of the ticket (good ole Republicants). I guess this is her way of trying to feel useful to someone again – her way of saying “won’t anyone take me seriously? See what a good bulldog I can be too?”

let's cut to the chase shall we? Did BHO know what he was doing when he used the 'lipstick on a pig' comment? Or was it taken out of context? Just look at the pre-delivery smurk, watch the reaction of the crowd and check Barry's reaction to the crowd. He knew exactly what he was doing. Cut the crap! He delivers another low blow and then looks innocent and says NOT ME! 'Enough is enough' is right. Let him be honest IF he can. He has not been honest about Rev. Wright. He was honest once...when he called his grandmother a 'typical white woman' and the press just stuck their collective heads in the sand for the day. give me a break! BHO is such a two-faced (no pun intended)faker!

I think what this incident shows is another example of bad judgement by Obama. For someone who doesn't have the experience to justify his run for the whitehouse, he isn't doing himself any favors by straying from his handlers speeches and popping off at the mouth.

I wonder how many republicans the McCain camp had to approach before they found someone stupid enough, someone with no future in politics, who would get up and accuse Obama of calling Palin a pig. Did Swift not realise they needed someone willing to be laughed out of politics by making that connection?

Geez! why do you think the media always ends up being the gossip mongers for the Republicans. Because they are profit making corporations, and as such their execs and share holders support republicans. Wake up. This isn't brain science.

Yeah, getting off issues and into silly name calling was all the Republicans. Obama was just focusing on the issues. He was completely clueless that his "lipstick" remark was a double entendre, and I'm sure it was completely coincidental that the "old fish" comment that followed can be interpreted as applying to McCain. The laughter and applause from the crowd he was speaking to was because of the brilliant point that Obama was making with his use of the analogies, and had nothing to do with the "totally out-of-context" meaning that McCain operatives later claimed. Obama’s hesitation before mentioning the line had nothing to do with any concern he had about any negative reaction to the comments—it was probably just a glitch in the teleprompter. Obama was then completely forthright about the innocent nature of the remark and the complete absence of any double meaning, and his outrage at how the McCain campaign twisted his innocent words was completely justified. It’s not fair how those stupid, evil Republicans, completely lacking any ideas on substantive issues, are dragging the poor Democrats, who only want to discuss their wonderful plans to save the country from being destroy by the terrible Republicans and would never engage in nasty and scurrilous attacks, into the mud. The brilliance of Feaver’s ability to grasp the true nature of dispute is nothing less than stunning! Yeah, right.

The same ilk that ran Bushs campaign, Karl Rove and gang, are running McBushs campaign. If you want 4 more years of Bush vote McBush, who thinks the middle class is $5,000,000.oo and down. Where in dogs name has he been living.

Democrats got beat at their own game for this presidential election. They were depending on 2 underhanded strategies to tip the election; class warfare and cultural warfare. Now you see these similar accusations from democrats against republicans because republicans called their bluff and beat them at their own game.

Democrats are the ones who made this election about class warfare and culture so only have themselves to blame.

Class warfare - Republicans and McCain are rich and don't care about the "average person." Obama is more of an "average person"

Cultural warfare - All republicans was is white males. They don't care about anyone but rich white males and we need a change. All the past presidents are white males maybe a different demographic will be good for "change"

McCain's pick of Palin made this moot. She appears to be a down to earth, driven, intelligent, hard working mother and is much more of a "regular person" than any of the other 3 making the class warfare strategy moot and actually work for republicans.

Add on top of this democrats' in their fight against Palin are showing their true colors by being condescending towards a lot of "regular americans" they claimed to praise but really were just using to fool the public. It is becoming apparent to many what liberals really think of "flyover country" americans or anyone that doesn't share their view or live in a metro area. People will vote accordingly.

If the democratic leadership would nominate someone moderate they would win hands down but they insist on trying to get in a left wing candidate and trying to use the MSM and social engineering to get them into office just like 2004.

McCain should take a look at one the videos of his pep rallies with Palin. Every time he hugs her the look on her face is unmistakable: "Ewwwww." His wandering eyes when she is speaking is also a laugh. Old man, you are creeping us out.

I watched Letterman last night and Obama was 100% class. It's sad that A Presidential Candidate is forced to address something as ridiculous as this. Anybody with common sense knows the pig comment had nothing to do with Palin. I would hope a possible future President could tell the difference between a metaphor vs.. an insult. This is the problem with our system and the media. We allow valuable time to be spent on third grade rhetoric instead of using that time to speak to Americans about the issues that matter most. Economy, gas prices, war on terror, free trade, housing market, financial sectors, debt to the bank of China, please pick something that is relevant to this country's survival and the American way of Life. Crying to mommy because the boys at school called you a name doesn't put money back in my wallet.

It was a thinly veiled sexist comment. If McCain had made such a comment it would have been all over the news, played up by the liberal press (including the Washington Post). Obama owes a big apology for any perceived insult. Now that the piglet wars are over, let's talk policy and experience. Do we really want an inexperienced Marxist/Socialist running the United States of America? Combine that with Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reed and you have a very dangerous combination - hang on to your wallets!

the McCain campaign has been done a great service by the left and the media by building Palin up as a martyr for the everyman American. For those on the left, I suggest you just let the Obama campaign pivot and get out of their way; they've weathered far worse (a gal named Hillary comes to mind). For those on the right, keep stoking the frenzy, the left and the media are playing right into your hands.

Obama ran as a new kind of politician for so long, staying above the fray and acting like a prophet, that now that he is engaged with real opponents, he simply does not know how to react. He insists on responding to even silly attacks in the hope that he can get back the adoration he had become accustomed to. Only the media still adores him- ordinary Americans have little patience with "royalty". Obama has lost his cool and is on the verge of assuming the mantle of just another angry left-winger.

McCain/Palin have nothing. So that ticket, instead of proposing debatable positions, panders to the prurient schoolyard mindset of their supporters with this BS - and their people are so pathetically weak willed they willfully buy into a transparently false claim like a child whistling in the dark. The press has fueled that tactic because it boosts viewership - never mind the social role the 4th estate is supposed to play.

Rather than rubber-stamping their past mistakes, these people, like the rest of us, have a chance to hear new solutions proposed and to change their errant positions. What a waste of the greatest nation in history.

Simon Says - Sorry, but most people aren't sick of it. You are, and you probably surround yourself with similar thinking people, but only about half the nation is sick of it, the other half is still very much conservative. Libs that think they are in the majority, and conservatives that think they are, are both wrong. This country is split down the middle, and a small percentage of undecided is going to decide it all again. That is why issues don't matter. It is these little nonsensical items that are going to get those undecided votes, because people who look at the issues have mostly already made up their minds.

All these comments are so unbelievable!! The two sides "claim" they are Americans who reside in a common country. Hard to recognize that from their writings! Is everything so black and white to the two political parties? Where is the commonality of all American ideals and beliefs shared by all? Why can't the parties reveal how All Americans share some of all the goals of both party platforms and make us feel UNITED once again?

How pathetic that is Obama playing innocent after the lipstick on a pig comment, when he knew how it would be taken--and was by his hooting and hollering supporters. If he didn't know how it would be taken, then he isn't as bright as he keeps claiming he is. I had thought he was different, but he's just another manipulative politician who says what he has to do to gain power--for himself, not for us.

WOW, can you say TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT? Watch the entire Obama speech, he is talking about McCain trying to pass his Bush-like policies off as change, but really it’s just the same old Bush-like policies. Just like you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s the same old pig. In this case, the pig is McCain's policies.

And if you haven’t already heard, McCain said the SAME exact thing about Hillary Clinton’s healthcare policies.

America is now the most detested country on the planet in Europe. We hate America. We hate your thoughtless aggression and senseless wars. We hate your moralizing, when you torture innocents and allow your own people to starve and go homeless.

We remember Katrina. We remember Iraq. We remember 2.5 million Vietnamese murdered, 1 million Chileans, 60 million African Americans.

Please, elect McCAin. So we will have reason to cut all relations with you. You are a country of pigs, physically and spiritually. And your choice of McCain proves it.

If Mr. O has to explain the jokes during his administration it's going to be very slow going. BTW, if the Dems are the new elitists as McCain/Rove have postered them then what on earth are Republicans? The Inferiorists? Doofists? DumbBellists?

How stupid are you when you tell voters the other guy is smarter. He improved himself going to law school, but I followed in daddies footsteps and married a rich woman to take care of me.

What Rove has found is that the voters are a electoral body made of a lot of slackers. I hope they forget to show up on election day. Being the son of generals and wealthy sounds elitist to me. Oh,no. Not when you're a lowly colonel. I'm just a commoner like you wondering how I'm going to buy another yacht with my wife's money.

Metaphor, allegory, and analogy seem to be lost on a majority of the American populace. Stay away from it. The democrats need to stick to and the press needs to report on the issues, as that's what matters. What does it say about the press when they are forced to cover a candidate as a result of a skit on Saturday Night Live? What does is say about the judgment of a presidential candidate who feels that proximity to Russia is the same as years of foreign policy experience? What does is say about the judgment of a presidential candidate who thinks that picking an unqualified woman is the shattering the glass ceiling? Let's get back to ensuring equality for all, health care, the economy, appointment of replacements for several aging supreme court judges, the war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, attempts by Russia to gain advantage while we are preoccupied by an election. These are the issues that the democrats, the press and even the republicans should focus on, not lipstick, pigs, fish or stale newspapers.

Pitbull with lipstick has no bite! Gotta play the sexism card like a week pathetic excuse for a baracuda!!!!! You didn't see Hillary crying when she was critiqued for what she was wearing etc. rather than her political views. In fact she made a joke about the pantsuit at the DNC convention. Hillary a REAL pitbull/baracuda!!!!!!!!!!

What has McCain taught us? he reminds us that those who (re)settled your land were a bunch of criminals and religious fanatics. America, if you elect John McCain, the rest of the world will know what aspect of your history your embrace.

If McCAin wins, be prepared to see signs all over the world:
No Americans, please!

It appeared that everyone took that out of context including the crowd behind him. Watch the video and read their reactions - it is pretty clear what was communicated to his audience regardless of what was intended by Barrack.

I suppose that he could have made an honest mistake by communicated something that the left gives a standing ovation and gets the right fighting mad - but I think it is just damage control to say this has been created by the Republicans.

This is worst case scenario for all Democrats because you only have two choices here

1. Obama = lowlife who is willing to compare women to pigs if it helps win elections.

Because the conservative movement died years ago how can anyone call Obama a Liberal. Who is Obama being compared to? The Republicans are the ones that spend the money and put America in debt. Republicans always expand our govenment. Since 1933 Democrats have created 3 times more jobs than republicans.
Oh and speaking of offshore drilling. Will that new oil be coming to America or will it be shipped off to Asia.

If the American public actuallly votes McCain in, then one could agree that the majority of Americans don't vote, or more likely that the voting population is mentally ill. Come on, do you people seriously want a God loving Palin speaking on behalf of the country. Can you imagine her speaking on behalf of the US to a country that doesnt believe in GOD. A gun-toting hockey mom, wow that says a lot. I never want to hear complaining from the US public if another Republican wins, because most people are also sick of the B.S

We all know that both of these candidates are wrong; just another wedge between the god fearing pubs and communist infused libs. Most of us are somewhere in the middle, although do not like to admist it during election years. The only good thing that is going to come out of McCain's victory is that for 2 days after the election, the extremely misguided wave of whiners and complainers, also known as the democratic constituency, will shut up. I can't wait for those 2 days... Then they can start back up with their typical nonsensical rhetoric, like "4 more years of Bush". After all those years in college, is all you can muster? Idiots. Oh, I see the new quib is McSame. Your acumen never fails to impress me.

Maybe McCain will impose a draft, and draft only democrats, and send them to some hellhole for 4 years. Perhaps they would come home and have some type of understanding of how the world actually turns.

Republicans are true RED NECKS in every sense of the word. They would rather have a stupid white man or woman in office who cant control their kids or actions, then to have an A++ honor role White and Black man run the country.

You can see this dumb/stupid mind state by watching what real issues they talk about. I voted for Bush in 2000 due to how honest he "appeared" to be from Gore. However the honest nature was just a consistent lie, and a lie is a lie, like a pig is a pig, with lipstick or without.

Rather then support a person for their race or gender, we need to focus on the right person for the job, which is clearly President Mr. Obama!!

Its fear of black taking MORE things over and doing a BETTER JOB of it, like EVERYTHING else in the WORLD, so why not have peace knowing we will live in a BETTER HONEST AMERICA when a man of valure is running the country and not a man who has RED NECK morals and values.

doug, your lead-in simply shows your ignorance of most of the true moral americans. did you know that about 275 years ago a group of people from across the atlantic decided they wanted a different way of life than what was offered there, so they decided to come to the new country and start there own new way of life. they were brave, sincere and moral people. today the liberals want a new way of life that has nothing to do with our founding fathers ideas, so in short why don't all of you idiot far left liberals, especially media, pack up, get some courage and find a new piece of land on another continent, or better yet, planet, and go start your own new perverted way of life.
thank-you in advance for your hopefully soon departure.
2coops

This is SO bizzare...surreal...down is up and up is down, what you are seeing with your eyes and ears is not what you are seeing. Mccain is "honorable" and is open to questions from press as is Palin (not). Obama's struggle to gain a law degree from Harvard coming from potentially difficult environment is not significant...Mccain's experience as a senator, a POW makes him understand what the middle class has to deal with (not). Palin with her experience as mayor of a small Alaska town and 1 1/2 years governor makes her a good pick for VP...Everything is upside down, can we awaken? Is this election about soundbites...illusions...AGAIN???

It is all about abortion, prayer in school, and teaching intelligent design in high school science classes. That is why Pallin is so popular with the right wing and the media. That is why we keep getting republican presidents who keep out-sourcing our nation's wealth to their corporate buddies. Because the republicans promise to allow prayer in schools, ban abortion, and allow the teaching of intelligent design in public school science classes. McCain had not made the promise until he brought in Pallin. Now the promise has been made with a wink-wink, nudge-nudge. And the 35% of Americans who honestly believe that we are in the end times and the rapture is just around the corner will all line up and vote for Pallin/McCain. And another 4 years will pass and the rapture will still be right around the corner, abortion will still be legal, intelligent design will still not be science, mandatory prayer will still not be permitted in the public schools, and even more of the nation's wealth will have been handed over to the Republicans' corporate buddies. Then it will start all over again.

Did we honestly expect anything different from a party who glorifies one vietnam war hero four years after completely blasting the service of another? I think it says alot about John McCain that he has had to pick someone like Sarah Palin to even create a spark in his otherwise lifeless campaign. His supporters should take a second and evaluate a commitment to this man for president when most of them weren't excited about him before he brought on his VP pick... Then they should certainly hear what Karl Rove had to say about the issue a couple of months ago, before either party had selected a running mate. In a television interview while discussing the possibility that Obama might select Tim Kaine (governor of Virginia, a state with many more people than Alaska), he spent the majority of the time demeaning his time as Mayor of Richmond, a city of over 100,000 people(while Wasilla had around 7 or 8,000) and then bashed Kaine as having "only three years" as governor of virginia. He said that Obama picking him would be a "campaign move" and not "governing move", a political decision that would show that he hadn't put America's interest first, just this election. Then a month and a half or so later he can't stop praising Palin's time as mayor and governor(of a town and state with far less population and for much less time at the state level)--- So what the mind of the modern Republican party is saying is that it is okay for them to pick someone who is in no way qualified to be next in line for the presidency, but the Democratic party would be wrong to pick someone with easily twice that much experience. Unfortunately the point I make will be lost on most Republicans, I say most because I am a Republican, and there are others like me, that WILL NOT VOTE for John McCain, but will vote for Barack Obama. John McCain has become nothing more than a noun, a verb, and POW. With his selection of Palin for his VP. He now gets the crowds he used to mock Barack Obama for having, but the sad thing is without her he would lose the crowds again... Our nation doesn't need another four years of Neo Conservative Fear Mongering, dangerous foreign policy, outrageous deficits, tax cuts to the rich, anymosity from other nations, using 9/11 for political gain, lying to the American people, spying on them and violating the constitution. This and much more has been the product of Bush x Cheney, and McCain x Palin is just another fraction that works out to the same number...

I can't wait for McCain to become president. Maybe we'll eventually see Sarah staring down Putin in a feel good story of a hockey mom becoming president!! SHE WOULD BE AWESOME BECAUSE SHE IS A REAL MOM!!

As a Christian, It truly concerns me that so many other Christians are still falling for Republican manipulation tactics. Please consider everything carefully before you vote in November.

This is a very interesting read concerning McCain's choice of Palin from an unusual and surprising religious perspective. I highly recommend checking it out - and send it to those you think need to hear it:

I truely think that the whole idea is ridiculous there are more important issues at hand starving children in the richest country in the world. john mc cains complaining about a statement that was entitled in a book by some one in his own camp!who is she referring to? im sure no one in particular just a harmless statement so why is it diffrent now that obama says it?? stick to real issues at hand we all know that republicans get off track real fast thats why the country is in the turmoil it's in. bring home our troops and god bless families and victims of 911.................

Look at this: Is this what we need. This isn't a change we can afford. Simple as that.

Sarah Palin’s portrait as a fiscal conservative when she ran the city of Wasilla, Alaska, as its mayor from 1996 to 2002. However, the truth is during her 6 years as mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33 percent.”

According to figures provided by the city of Wasilla, the operating budget for Wasilla went from $6,050,160 in fiscal year 1996 to $9,393,768 in 2002. That’s a 55 percent increase. But adjusted for inflation, it’s a 35 percent increase.

She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a recessive sales tax which taxed even food.”
Under Palin, property tax rates did, in fact, go down; and the sales tax did go up from 2 percent to 2.5 percent.

“The huge increases in tax revenues during her administration weren’t enough to fund everything on her wish list though; borrowed money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22-million. What did Mayor Palin encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? Or a new library? No. $1-million for a park, $15-million-plus for construction of a multi-use sports complex...She also supported bonds for $5.5-million for road projects that could have been done in 5-7 years without any borrowing.”

The fiscal year ending 1996 (when Palin took the reins), which showed the city’s long-term debt at $1.12-million, mostly for paving and sewer projects. The annual financial report for fiscal year ending June 30, 2002 — Palin’s last year in office — shows that the total long-term debt was $24.8-million. Long-term debt increased $23.7-million. From $1.1 to $23.7 – that is one large increase.

HOW HAVE THOSE PROJECTS WORKED OUT

WASILLA, Alaska — The biggest project that Sarah Palin undertook as mayor of this small town was an indoor sports complex, where locals played hockey, soccer, and basketball, especially during the long, dark Alaskan winters.

The only catch was that the city began building roads and installing utilities for the project before it had unchallenged title to the land. The misstep led to years of litigation and at least $1.3 million in extra costs for a small municipality with a small budget. What was to be Ms. Palin’s legacy has turned into a financial mess that continues to plague Wasilla.

“It’s too bad that the city of Wasilla didn’t do their homework and secure the land before they began construction,” said Kathy Wells, a longtime activist here. “She was not your ceremonial mayor; she was in charge of running the city. So it was her job to make sure things were done correctly.”

Litigation resulting from the dispute over Ms. Palin’s sports-complex project is still in the courts, with the land’s former owner seeking hundreds of thousands of additional dollars from the city.

Palin likes to say “Good judgment can make the difference between avoiding a crisis and managing a catastrophe.”

I can't believe that this is the kind of crap the media has turned its attention to. I want to hear less from both sides about how bad the other one is. I'm going to vote for the first candidate to give a straight answer on an important question (like the economy, the war, I don't even care which issue at this point). I don't care how well Obama speaks, how much of a "maverick" McCain claims to be, and I don't care what kind of pig Shara Palin is or what kind of lipstick she would prefer if she was. Its two months before we choose the president and I'm hoping at least one of these guys has some kind of plan. McCain and Palin can only talk about how awful Obama is as a candidate and won't even allow people to ask them questions (or they aren't giving any answers). Obama and Biden who were big on preaching (though not talking) at this point seem more intent upon defending their image and trying to point out the weaknesses in the McCain/Palin ticket that are already blatantly apparent to any halfway educated person. I just hope people will quit watching CNN for awhile and do some of their own research. Look up the candidate histories, voting records, policy approaches (its out there, though hard to find); these are the important things that have been mysteriously omitted by the press. From now on, before each new article or newscast covering the election there should be a message like the one that appears in the title credits of many Hollywood movies that reads “Based on a true story.”

Are American's seriously thinking of voting in another republican. I thought the masses were uninformed when Bush got in a second time, but this is rediculous. If McCain wins, which unfortunately is possible, I never want to hear another American complain about the issues of War, Security, the Economy, or Health care ever again. 4 more years of republicans equals another tainted vote count or a slew of seriously stupid people. This stupidity is bleading into Canada, as we may vote in again another wannabee republican Harper)who borrows the smear tactics and fear mongering of american politicians.

Hopefully the US will actually count the African-American votes this time.

The venom with which the attack dogs of both parties try to destroy the other candidate demeans the process of selecting the next president. For me, the issues are so clear-the astounding arrogance and incompetence of the Bush Administration, the policy reversals of Senator McCain to appeal more to the Republican Party base, and the media 's addiction to sensationalistic soundbites and short attention-span to the real issues all point to another election decided not by thoughtful choices, but instead by anger and fear. Neither candidate, nor party is always right but the vicious attacks do seem to be worse from the Republicans and I do believe that they are calculated to divert attention from the horrible economic position that Bush has put us in. Some argue that we are a tipping point now where succeeding generations will lose ground and where our position as the educational/scientific/innovative leaders of the world is, and will continue to decline. I resent the process by which we pick our leaders when the focus is on lipstick and pigs and moose hunting. I want to hear their views on REAL issues and I want unbiased analysis of their plans to deal with these issues. We deserve much better.

"How pathetic that is Obama playing innocent after the lipstick on a pig comment, when he knew how it would be taken--and was by his hooting and hollering supporters. If he didn't know how it would be taken, then he isn't as bright as he keeps claiming he is."

YEAH, AND THIS HAS SO MUCH TO DO WITH OUR NATION'S ISSUES. REPUBLICANS ARE LIKE IGNORANT 5 YEAR OLDS.

"NO pg just pointing out that there is a giant double standard with the BHO crowd when even mentioning his (Legal?) middle name: Hussein is enought to get you branded a rascist. That works in the netherlands but I would like to think we still have free speach here"

You do have free speech, and I do not brand you as anything, but examine the intent. Most often the intent of using his middle name is not innocent, so pretending to be indignant at people's response is a bit silly. Almost as silly as making the "spade" comment, and in the same post, admitting you know you are going to offend people.

Incidently, Obama is guilty of the same thing. He had to know how his remark could be taken, and yet he said it anyway. The problem with the Repubs response is McCain has used the exact same phrase referring to Hillary's policies. Again - silly.

I know that most American really don't care about their country. Male or female, we are too wrapped up in image and fanciful pipe dreams of Machismo. How do I support such a claim? Who do we elect - Reagan the cowboy, George W. the party hard good ol boy, and perhaps McCain the self-professed only true American or Palin the first American macho woman (how ironic).

But there are issues and real problems that need a serious fix. The 27 years of Reaganomic are what many said they were in 1980 -- voodoo economics that lowered taxes for the rich and for corporations which would trickle down and lift the poor middle class.

Now, Wall St. has taken all that money into massive pools causing major disruptions in every financial market worldwide from currency to stocks, to commondities to real estate. Tax savings for the rich have swung too far. There is a balance that needs to be acheived where a level of tax takes excessive amounts of money and applies it to social services which frees up money and incourages the spending habits of the middle class - the real engine that drives the economy.

Our jobs have gone overseas. Our salaries have been stagnant for 40 years and most of us can't afford the most elemental building blocks of the American dream - a home, a decent car, healthcare and a good education for our kids.

If American families have to pay their own medical costs, the cost of schooling their kids, and simultaneously continue to see their wages held in check by inaccurate inflation reports and corporate greed, then the ecomony is doomed.

We need the well off and corporations to pay their fair share of tax and a real and accurate measure of inflation; we need higher wages and medical coverge and a sound social security system that politicians and investment bankers cannot touch, held in trust by a responsible government that operates according to laws made by citizens not by self-serving lobbiests.

Lying and egotistical politicians who break the law must be removed from office swiftly and completely.

We need change -- serious change and on a social scale equavalent to the Great Depression under Roosevelt. Nothing else will do.

So lets get real about what is a stake in this election.

Another set of machismo corrupt liars is simply not going to get the job done, folks. WAKE UP!!!

mccain has no honor. he has used his pow experience for self glory. most vets would be ashamed of exploiting their war efforts for ambitious goals. most veterans would not want to lift up their experience over others especially those who didn't make it back mccain has taken exploitation to a new level.

mccain has been served well. most vets don't have a rich wife and a rich fatherinlaw that can give them a cushy VP job

"We may think this is Muhammad the terrorist; it might be Muhammad the cabdriver. You may think it's Barack the bomb-thrower. But it might be Barack the guy running for president. Don't mock the Constitution. Don't make fun of it! Don't suggest that it's un-American to abide by what the Founding Fathers set up! It's worked pretty well for over 200 years! These people."

I hope all you Republican supporters don't have teenagers....or maybe you're ready to have them drafted and sent as sacrificial lambs to the next war.....aww, but all good repubs have their kids sign up for the "honor" of killing others with no reason excoet to "kill them before they kill us". Well, if MCCain/whatshername wins, the economy won't be ALL bad....bodybag makers will do well.....but they are probably made in China.

To "former Republican"
If you were really a Republican you would know that Rove has nothing to do with McCain's campain...McCain and Rove are very, very far from being close,...Get some new devils..Rove and Bush are not running this time!!

Oh please ... the issue is being overplayed, obviously, but don't try to tell me that Obama didn't know that any mention of "lipstick" was going to play to the crowd. Hmmm ... "lipstick on a pig" and an "old fish." "Lipstick" and "old," who COULD he be talking about? Gee, that's a real tough one ...

How pathetic that is Obama playing innocent after the lipstick on a pig comment, when he knew how it would be taken--and was by his hooting and hollering supporters. If he didn't know how it would be taken, then he isn't as bright as he keeps claiming he is.

I find it very funny, and quite odd, that most of you are attacking the media as being biased for McCain. Where have you people been for the last 8 years?!! It has been quite obvious for at least the last 8 years that the media has been increasing pro-Democrat. So much so that it has now become BLATANTLY obvious.

Many people don't think about "issues". These folks vote on "impressions" and "warm feelings", etc. The GOP knows this and so they attack at that level. Democrats argue on "issues" and their message is lost on many (except the "inteligencia"). So, you can be right on the "issues" and lose the election while the GOP fights by knocking your knee caps off.

Anonymous, let me guess.....You must be a white racist monger of the 1960s era, and probably with little or no academic education. I suggest you go and get educated on what went on in the 50s and 60s in this country, when the American Justice did not includ justice for blacks and when even a 10 year old boy could be linched by the KKK for just looking at a white woman. Yeah, bet you didn't even know that. Being sheltered in your lilly white glass house, how in the heck would you understand that black people had no other place to find solace and pray that God changes the heart of American justice to include them than through their church? The Black church in the 60s was in the only place where black Americans could go and try to understand why their White brothers and Sisters would not allow them to drink out of the same public water fountain, or sit anywhere on a public bus. Now, if your mom or your dad or your sister or your son or your daughter were treated this way by anyone or any organization, would you be proud of that person? Would you be so proud of that organization? If your grandpa was linched by a mob of individuals, while on her way to church or on her way down to the grocery store, would you be proud of that mob? And if you were powerless to avenge her senseless death, even if that mob change its mind later and said, I know your grandma was not allowed to be called a decent human being , but from now on, I grant human being status to her offsprings. Would that be enough to make you feel Oh soooo proud of that mob? Anonymous, before you judge others, even if you have never walked in their shoes, step out of your glasshouse.

Hey All:
This Obama supporter was anything but gloomy with the lipstick pig business. Hmmmm, why would the Republicans think PALIN when Obama made that comment - seeing as McCain had used it with Hillary. Do THEY secretly see Palin as a pig wearing lipstick????? Barry O and Biden don't need to be walking on eggshells around Palin - she considers herself "one of the guys" (fine) so stop being worried about her female sensitive nature. In this campaign it ceases to exist - if it ever did.

Its the media that has so skewed these campaigns and will ultimately determine the outcome. Its time the American people took back the media and made the press free again. Liberals have nearly all media channels secured in their pockets and it is getting old.

My contention is that the lipstick debate is NOT without substance. This goes to the very heart of Democratic sincerity. They have been telling me for years that they were on my side- that they supported me in my quest for equal rights with men. The deluge of criticism and attacks on Sarah Palin has completely changed my opinion of the Democratic party on feminism. When the chips were down and along came a woman who didn't follow the agenda perfectly, they slam her- they slam her family, her record and her reputation. It's not a debate on her experience or competetence- it's out and out character assasination. Obama LOST MY VOTE and I have lost my faith in the sincerity of the Democratic party.

Republicans were stupid enough to put GW, the biggest embarrassment this Country has EVER had, back in for "4 more years".....they are stupid enough to be distracted by all the trashtalk....Palin is LOVING THIS....it makes all the mouthbreathers forget how unqualified she is. Republican politicans know exactly how to keep their voters.....if the facts or issues ever come up...throw a shiny object in front of them and they'll go chase it and forget all the issues.

Obama used:
"Lipstick on pig" analogy;and the audience chanted "pitbull"
then he used "old fish" wrapped in paper analogy; Lets make a leap.."old" could refer to McCain, "lipstick" and "pitbull" chanting, could refer to Palin..Maybe Obama is not as smart of a politician that we thought...As far as the person saying that Palin having a Down Syndrome kid on purpose. now that' a leap!!

Seriously, I was a dyed in the wool southern Republican. Voted for Ronald Reagan and George Bush, Sr. and W. No more. The party is corrupt and has given over control to the marketeers who want to manipulate the public with mindless sound bites and insignificant nonsense. It's a shame. And Big John Straight Talk Express McCain is now a puppet on the end of Karl Rove's strings. Sickening really after the last of years of the Bush/Cheney scorched earth policy of utter rape and destruction of the constitution and the American way. A vote for McCain is a vote for a stagnant economy and more militaristic style, war-Presidential leadership. Go ahead, but be prepared to send your sons and daughters into a major third offensive in the Middle East with Iran, and don't think the Russians and Chinese are going to sit on the sidelines anymore. So keep up your complaints about "lipstick"...

The people that believe Obama's lipstick comment is an issue are the some of the same people that voted for Bush TWICE. Since Bush can't run for a third term, let's all vote for someone that thinks just like him.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."

You have to be kidding me. Barack Hussein Obama and the rest of the Dems need to suck it up! You can give it but can not take it. You guys live for the doom and gloom.

How does the world know when a punch is landed on a Dem or their state run media?

The Dem blogs lash out with hate speech and flunkies in the media reports it as news. Then comes the key word: "He/she lied" Then the Dem state run media to run "they are being too rough on Barack Hussein Obama..."

When will you guys in the Dem State run media stop carry Barack Hussein Obama water?

What is really scary, the Dem State run media is exactly what was run in the USSR.

Socialism is being shoved down the throats of old school Democrats. No wonders people from the “rust belt” are switching away from Democrats in record numbers.

It's really fun to watch the Dem State run media attack the media. (i.e. themselves)

So sad to see the the libs on the defense for once. Funny just how mean and nasty they have become. Here I thought they were the party of the big tent. Maybe Joe B can copy a speech and Obama can write another book and all will be right with the world.

I honestly doubt that Obama was referring to Palin when he used this very common phrase. But that doesn't change the fact that when he said it, many people, including many Democrats, thought that he was, and to paint it any other way is just dishonest. Using that particular phrase only days after Sarah Palin's speech at the RNC was probably not intentionally malicious, but certainly a bit thoughtless, and definitely worthy of an apology for his words being just as innocently interpreted that way. The Obama campaign's reaction, however, of accusing the McCain campaign of "playing the gender card" is extremely disrespectful--this has nothing to do with gender or sexism and everything to do with an ill-timed, but probably innocently used phrase that was then innocently interpreted as an insult against the Republican candidate for Vice President, gender aside.

NO pg just pointing out that there is a giant double standard with the BHO crowd when even mentioning his (Legal?) middle name: Hussein is enought to get you branded a rascist. That works in the netherlands but I would like to think we still have free speach here

The reason that this became a story when it did was to create a distraction... which has apparently worked very well, to take the focus off of Palin, who is turning out to be nothing like the image that was first projected. The reason that that the Republicans latched onto THIS item, and why it's so silly, is becasue this was the ONLY that going at the moment that they could in ANY way grab onto to create the distraction. I'm convinced that if the only thing Obama had said on that day was "Hello", the Republicans would have accused him of cursing in public... suggesting that if you dissect the word "Hello", it's a clearly intended as a reference to "Hell".

Even though Barack was not referring to Palin directly, I am. She IS a pig in the most disgusting sense of the word. She purposely got pregnant after age 40, knowing full well the risks and likelihood of having a Down syndrome child at that age. She then proceeds to parade the child around like a trophy always making sure the mongoloid face of the poor kid is picked up by cameras. I feel so sorry for this child. It will be raised by nannies and institutions while the greedy, self-serving parents selfishly go right on pursuing their careers. Republicans, in general, are little more than human cockroaches on the face of planet Earth. They disgust me with their self-righteous, phony, religious piety.

McCain claims to be an American war hero and a maverick. But he could not even put up a simple fight with Bush in 2000.
Now lacking ideas and leadership, all he could come with is lipstick. Is this what we Americans want, a lipstick president???

"And this is who people want for president, someone who can't control what he says and offends people becasue of his lack of thinking before opening his mouth. WWIII is just around the corner is he's elected."

No, what people really want is someone that is so offended by something somebody MAY have been insinuating that they drop all of the County's issues to spend a week trasing whoever said it. Yeah, WWIII is around the corner, because god forbid a middle eastern leader says Palin belongs at home making more babies or some other "insult"....we'd be spending 50 trillion more dollar bombing the crap out of them.

LOL Reoublicans yelling "sexism"...OMG!!
This from the guy who called his wife the "C" word....this from the guys who offered his wife in a topless beauty contest...this from the guy that used the same reference..."lipstick on a pig" to describe Hillary Clinton's healthcare proposal...you Republicans are freekinghilarious!!! LOL!!

Breaking the glass ceiling, having proportionate gender representation IS a monumental issue and a historically unmet one. It is deeply pivotal.

Duh. But guys like you are so myopic and want the world to revolve around YOUR issues, and are accustomed to it, that all you see is what's important to you.

Love the guys who now conveniently draw overlapping parallels between Obama and Clinton, but when she was running portrayed her as an anti-Christ.

NEWSFLASH: Many Clinton supporters are voting McCain for Pres. He is the candidate, remember? You need to compare apples to apples. McCain is running for Pres, not Palin. M has been a maverick and independent on many issues. Palin sealed the deal.

Clinton supporters, and others, also do not see Obama as qualified to helm this nation. You are irresponsible in thinking a guy who came out of nowhere, slapped up a poster about change, didn't even fulfill one term in the Senate or write any legislation, is qualified to be Pres. He doesn't even vote and take a stand, but votes "present." We don't want a Pres who is so bumbling (the guy can't even talk impromptu, is chicken to debate because his butt gets kicked) that he needs Daddy Biden to really run the show. Biden is another Cheney. But, hey, Obama talks a good speech (we think he annoyingly preaches) and it' be "cool" to have a black Pres, right?

Journalists and editors have the responsibility not to slide on the surface of things. The media not only reflects the news, it creates the news and therefore some higher criteria should be applied to the choices made, especially when it comes to such a crucial issue like the 2008 presidential elections. Instead, "Much Ado about Nothing." When will the journalists focus on the serious problem (in my humble opinion) that McCain election team would not allow any, but pre-screened interviews with Palin? Is this not an insult to the American people? Is this not insult to the media itself?

"Liberals are such hypocrites.
Let's say, McCain says something like Michelle Obama is a pig with lipstick, compared with Jacquelin Kennedy. They will be all over McCain, don't they?
Now they are fine with Obama's comment, why? Because he is black, he can say whatever he want! hallelujah! Jesus Obama, our saint, yeah!"

But you would be PERFECTLY okay with Barack Obama saying Palin's daughter got knocked up because her father is Ann Coulter. 'cause that's what McCain said about Chelsea except that it was Janet Reno and he was talking about her looks, which is even more insulting because that's nothing she has control over.

The latest poll we conducted of 500 people shows a clear shift towards McCain/Palin. The results are as follows.

1. Women 35 to 55 have moved 30% towards McPalin from ObBiden in the last 3 weeks.

2. College students are flocking to the McPalin camp. A wopping 42% shift towards McPalin in facebook polls.

3. Men 50-65 a 24% shift to McPalin in the last 3 weeks.

Obama has cornered himself by chosing Biden instead of Hillary. This election has now become more about women than about issues. If Obama tries to concentrate on issues for the next 8 weeks he will definitely be making the change himself, without the help of the American voters.

This American election campaign has taught me two very good lessons
1. The vote for George Bush was no error of Americans. Americans are just some damn insecure and foolish people.
2. America should better become a third world country than to vote a black man to power even if he has a better package to spur the country to glory.
This is a shame to a country that hypocitically talks of freedom. Shame to America

When I was a child, I learned that when you say something that hurts another person you say you're sorry. Even if you didn't mean to hurt them, you say you're sorry and it's ok to add that you didn't mean to hurt them if you didn't. I will take Obama at his word that he wasn't trying to call Sarah Palin a pig, but piggate will not go away until he appologizes to her.

To all the foreigners commenting about our American presidential race: Bug off. You complain about how we think the world revolves around us, then you reinforce that it actually does revolve around us by watching our events with baited breath. Don't you your own life to live? Go fix your own country so we don't have to keep going and rescuing you.

GOP REPUBLICAN OOOOOIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLL IS THE NEW CRACK
GOP REPUBLICAN OOOOOIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLL IS THE NEW CRACK
GOP REPUBLICAN OOOOOIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLL IS THE NEW CRACK

CAN YOU SAY GOP REPUBLICAN CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, ROB OUR U.S. TREASURY, AND SPECULATE FOR OBSCENELY HIGH PROFIT RETURNS ON WALL STREET OIL STOCKS

WAKE UP AMERICA, BECAUCE THE WORLD ALREADY KNOWS ABOUT THE CRIMINAL GOP REPUBLICAN PARTY OF CONSPIRATORS

NATIONALIZE U.S. OIL FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE AS A VITAL RESOURCE

AMERICA AND AMERICANS FIRST

NO MORE GOP REPUBLICAN WALL STREET OOOOOIIIIILLLLL SPECULATION AND FRAUD AGAINST THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

IF YOU SAY THAT YOU LOVE AMERICA, THEN PROVE IT AND STOP THE GOP REPUBLICAN RAIDERS UPON OUR U.S. TREASURY AND OUTSOURCING OF U.S. JOBS

Will the GOP Republican get rich by selling America party take credit for any of their disasters? GOP Republicans are successful at failing and hurting OUR COUNTRY in the eyes of the WORLD. Can we really afford to ignore what the ENTIRE WORLD THINKS OF US?

How does the WORLD perceive AMERICA led by Barack Obama? Extremely favorable.

How does the WORLD perceive AMERICA led by John McCain? Extremely negative.

McCain has perpetually been a failure from school until now.
Palin has perpetually been a failure (with a hillbilly hockey mom accent) from day one until now. Her bear hunting Arctic outback kids prove it.

Do you really need someone to tell you these basic facts? Under the Freedom of Information Act, all of this information is available free if you choose to type in the questions.

Lets prove to the Europeans and the World that we are not stupid, because they think that we are after two terms of Forrest Gump Bush.

D Student Crash Every Plane McCain and Hillbilly Trailer Palin are not reflective of the American People.

If Palin had a brain, then she would have considered the immense responsibilities demanded of the Office of the United States Vice President or President; and politely declined McCain’s crack induced invitation. GOP Republican Party is a joke.

If FOX NEWS does not clean up it’s filthy RACIST acts of discrimination, then American and European audiences will B O Y C O T T FOX RACIST NEWS.

REPORT SAYS GOP REPUBLICAN OIL AGENCY RAN AMOK

INVESTIGATION OF GOP REPUBLICAN OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET

INVESTIGATION OF GOP REPUBLICAN MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE OIL MARKETING GROUP

GOP REPUBLICAN Government officials in charge of collecting billions of dollars worth of royalties from oil and gas companies accepted gifts, steered contracts to favored clients and engaged in drug use and illicit sex with employees of the energy firms, federal investigators reported.

Investigators from the Interior Department's inspector general's office said more than a dozen employees, including the former director of the oil royalty program, took meals, ski trips, sports tickets and golf outings from industry representatives. The report alleges that the former director, also netted more than $30,000 from improper outside work.

The report from Inspector General contains fresh allegations about the practices at the beleaguered royalty-in-kind program of Interior's Minerals Management Service, which last year collected more than $4 billion worth of oil and natural gas from companies given contracts to tap energy on federal and Indian lands and offshore. The revelations come as Congress is set to consider opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and areas off the coast of Florida for drilling.

The royalty-in-kind program, based near Denver, allows energy companies to pay the government in oil and gas, rather than cash, for the privilege of drilling on government land. It has been the subject of multiple investigations since 2006 by the Interior Department's secretary, its inspector general, the Justice Department and Congress for alleged mismanagement and conflicts of interest.

In the report released yesterday, investigators said they "discovered a culture of substance abuse and promiscuity" in which employees accepted gratuities "with prodigious frequency." The report cited one e-mail from a Shell Pipeline representative asking a woman in the royalty office to attend "tailgating festivities" at a Houston Texans football game: "You're invited . . . have you and the girls meet at my place at 6am for bubble baths and final prep."

Besides Shell, the energy company employees mentioned in the report worked for Chevron, Hess and Gary-Williams Energy. The social outings detailed in the report included alcohol-, cocaine- and marijuana-filled parties where certain employees of the Minerals Management Service were nicknamed the "MMS Chicks" by the energy employees. The companies paid for federal workers to attend football and baseball games, PGA Tour events, Colorado ski trips, paintball outings and "treasure hunts," investigators found.

"The OIL INDUSTRY holds shocking sway over the ADMINISTRATION and even KEY FEDERAL EMPLOYEES,". "This is why we must not allow BIG OIL'S AGENDA to be jammed through CONGRESS."

The current director of the Minerals Management Service, said that he takes the report "very seriously".
Employees identified in the report told investigators that they didn't think ethics rules applied to them because of their "unique" role in the agency and that they needed to socialize with industry representatives for "market intelligence," according to the report. Those employees, some of whom have been transferred to different offices, have been recommended for internal administrative action.

The inspector general's release comprised three separate reports, including one devoted to the program's director. It alleges that Smith improperly worked part time for Geomatrix Consultants, an Oakland, Calif.-based environmental and engineering firm, and marketed the company to government clients.

Additionally, the report said that the director had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a subordinate whom he paid to buy cocaine, promising her a bonus in return. The director admitted to the sexual encounter.

The director, who now works for a private oil company in Denver, did not respond to requests for comment. Investigators referred their findings to federal prosecutors.

Justice officials also declined to comment on their decision about the criminal case against the highest-ranking official named in the report director of the Minerals Management Service, who worked in Washington. She is accused of improperly arranging a million-dollar deal for two retired employees.

The wife of the procurement policy administrator for the WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET, retired from government service Jan. 31. She declined to comment on the report. She told investigators she had a "personal issue. The Justice Department's decision to charge created a rift with Interior officials.

One of the two retired employees pleaded guilty in July to a federal conflict-of-interest charge related to the investigation. Another employee has been under investigation for similar conflict-of-interest allegations.

Before he left, Mayberry created a job for himself by writing the job description and the criteria for selecting the winning bidder, court documents show. He started a company out of his Texas home and was awarded a $150,000 contract in June 2003. He later hired Dial, the report said. Mayberry's firm collected $788,000 worth of contracts.

The royalty-in-kind program, which started as a small pilot project a decade ago, has been touted as a way to simplify the way OIL AND GAS COMPANIES pay for the right to drill on federal land and offshore. Instead of calculating the profit from a well, they can simply give the government one-eighth to one-sixth of whatever they take from the ground.

Revenue rose quickly, from $1.5 billion in 2004 to $4.3 billion last fiscal year. But the growth occurred "in an environment with relatively unstructured in-house oversight," the congressionally convened Royalty Policy Committee said in a December report. Previous reports have said that companies were allowed to revise their million-dollar bids for projects indiscriminately, that government workers routinely failed to seek out legal advice on complicated deals and that the agency used outdated computers and a $150 million software program that resulted in royalty money going uncollected.

A lawyer who represented states and tribes entitled to a cut of the royalties, said it was nearly impossible to get accurate numbers from the agency. "They kept hemming and hawing," she said.

In late 2006 questions arose over its handling of leases written in 1998 and 1999 that allowed major oil companies drilling in the Gulf of Mexico to avoid billions of dollars in royalty payments.

Former Interior Department auditors accused the agency of failing to bill companies. "We weren't allowed to audit them. It was disturbing," said an auditor who sued the federal government for not collecting royalties. "You couldn't see what was going on."

The minerals agency director said that the harm done by the royalty employees was to public trust and Treasury, and acknowledged that financial considerations were given to firms that gave favors to federal employees, and he said the contracts will be audited.

Do you really question the motives of GOP Republicans Criminals? America must Immediately Nationalize U.S. Oil and Gas For National Defense.

When I first heard the "lipstick on a pig" brouhaha, I thought it was ridiculous. But if you watch Obama's hesitation and his gesture as he says it (covering his eyes, slapping his forehead), not to mention the reaction of his audience who obviously got the joke, I'm pretty convinced it was an intentional jab.

Not that it's relevant or important. But I think it was indeed what people are making of it. And it shows just how rattled this fine woman, Governor Palin, has him.

Folks... don't get distracted. Focus on the issues. For example, McPain has said he knows how to get Osama. If he really puts "country First" then should have by now contacted the authorities (his "My Friend" Bush) and told him how to do it. His failure do do so is an act of treason, it is tantamount to Blackmailing of a nation. This failure is enough to disqualify him from any further consideration as the future President of the United States. See him for what he is.

Sad, Sad, Sad, I have not heard a single bit of substance from this entire election. Just “He’s picking on me” and “That’s Outrageous that you want to know the credentials and voting record of who may be VP”, “They lied about me”. Not a single ounce of dialog that means anything. It sounds to me like a tactic used when you have nothing real to say. I am sick and tired of both sides saying crap like “I will fix Healthcare”, “I’ll turn the economy around”, “Drill more and solve all our problems” and not having any real plan I can examine. It’s all a bunch of poop. If you they really cared about their positions and had plans they would just ignore the other side’s noise and present cold, hard, plans that were hopefully developed by cooperation from both parties.
Oh yeah, everyone’s got too big a head to cooperate. That might get a republican called a “Commie” by his peers or a Dem to be called “Neocon nut” by his.
I don’t know about lipstick on a pig but I can guarantee that anytime either side speaks, it’s just poop that comes out. Just lots of Meaningless, usually malicious, hate half of America, poop.
Notice above “hate half of America” line. If you do not understand what that means let me spell it out. Read my Lips. If you expel hate speech against all of the people belonging to either major party through over simplified rhetoric, you doing exactly what I would have hoped your mom thought you not to do and your hurting America as a whole. So stop. Also, don’t anyone from either side start acting like your innocent or that the other side started it because that’s also poop! Both parties have a noble tradition and history with colossal failures that the try to always blame the other side for.
Come on people; get off the school yard and into actual constructive dialog. We need or our country will fail.

Why is it that when children act this way in school, they are punished, but when a politician acts this way the populace cheers them on?

Why is the name calling and B.S. rhetoric getting media play? Oh yeah, I forgot - the populace needs a pop culture square dance to be enticed to perform their civic duty to vote.

We finally have a chance to see some very good and big changes for all the people in our country with all of the posted plans the Obama camp has published. It is sad to see that the GOP has to maneuver in cloak and dagger, back alley activities to wring a vote out of someone. The Governor of Alaska? Really? And I am so sure that she was chosen for the work she has done, not that she is woman...

The pro-Obama's are sure they know what Obama meant by the comment, and the anti-Obama's are equally sure of the opposite. You all had your minds made up before the comment was made, so stop wasting your time trying to convince each other you are right.

I have a new found respect for Huckabee, though. He seems to have stated his true feelings, rather than just vomit up the party line. Wish we had more of that.

And this is who people want for president, someone who can't control what he says and offends people becasue of his lack of thinking before opening his mouth. WWIII is just around the corner is he's elected.

McCain said the same lipstick comment about hilary. Yet it was ok. He said it a bunch of other times as well. Do they think were stupid? Why does everyone worship the republican party so much? Fear?

In the last 8 years our economy has gone to complete crap and were at war. Jobs being lost everyday, millions without health care and McCain and Palin have absolutly no plan to fix any of it. They think they can just talk catchy phrases and we will bow down. It isnt working for a lot of us! I can see right thru McCain and Palin. Obama actually seems sincere to me!

And 911 happened on Gdubs watch. So quit using that as propaganda to get me to be scared into voting republican. It just doesnt work anymore.

These polls aren't accounting for the craploads of people like me who havent participated in them. We are all voting Obama!

I have to laugh at those who say that Obama's lipstick remark was "taken out of context" by the right and the media, but consider that if that is the case, it was also "taken out of context" by Obama's own audience who immediately started a chant against Palin. Given the buzz that the "pitbull with lipstick" line from Palin's speech had generated, anyone with "half a brain" (to quote one of the previous commentators) would realize that any lipstick quip was bound to tie into Palin. No one will ever be able to convince me that Obama didn't know EXACTLY what he was doing- however he hides behind his denials now, it was a stupid thing to do and many women are furious with him- and that fury steps across party lines. I've seen it myself. He blew it- big time.

Liberals are such hypocrites.
Let's say, McCain says something like Michelle Obama is a pig with lipstick, compared with Jacquelin Kennedy. They will be all over McCain, don't they?
Now they are fine with Obama's comment, why? Because he is black, he can say whatever he want! hallelujah! Jesus Obama, our saint, yeah!

The truely hilarious part of this is that the comment was directed at McCain's economic & energy policy. It had nothing to do with Palin at all.
.
"Putting lipstick on a pig" is the same statement as "Putting racing silks on a Jackass" ... in the end you still just have a barnyard animal.

Translation = You can dress it (policy/plan/strategy) up all you want! But a bad (policy/plan/strategy) will still be just as bad no matter how pretty you try to make it.

No audio/video, 1998 was before everything anyone said was recorded on YouTube. I wouldn't believe an American 'news' source because the news has been canceled to show pictures of Paris Hilton's hoo hoo. So this the bbc:

Even though Barack was not referring to Palin directly, I am. She IS a pig in the most disgusting sense of the word. She purposely got pregnant after age 40, knowing full well the risks and likelihood of having a Down syndrome child at that age. She then proceeds to parade the child around like a trophy always making sure the mongoloid face of the poor kid is picked up by cameras. I feel so sorry for this child. It will be raised by nannies and institutions while the greedy, self-serving parents selfishly go right on pursuing their careers. Republicans, in general, are little more than human cockroaches on the face of planet Earth. They disgust me with their self-righteous, phony, religious piety.

We can not accept a zarconia (OBAMA) for a Diamond (McCain). America must see through the false well spoken words of Obama-Biden and see the future and sincerity in McCain-Palin

Posted by: Bob B | September 11, 2008 11:44 AM
----------------------------------------
As a gemologist and appraiser, I assure you that you are mistaken. McCain is a cheap rhinestone, not even close to a cubic zirconia, and Obama is the real Diamond. And a nearly flawless one to boot. I'd say D color with a 55% table and 53 total depth percentage, with a 34 1/2 degree crown angle. He's brilliant!

Actually McCain is more like a common pebble. No shine to speak of. Dull and uninspiring.

I am so utterly disgusted with politics in this country, and I am a politician! If this is a wake up call to the masses, then WAKE UP! We cannot, under any circumstances, allow OBAMA to be swift-boated. Have we learned nothing in these last eight years? Why on earth would anybody in their right mind want to willingly continue this sham of an administration? We must pay close attention and not allow another piece of wool to be pulled over the American people's eyes. Sarah Palin called herself a pit bull with lipstick, and all these so-called women activists said nothing of the comment. Now OBAMA makes a totally unrelated comment using the word lipstick and everyone is "deeply offended" and "outraged". Oh, get over it. I am a woman telling you that Sarah Palin does not represent me - and her sorry throng of supporters, claiming to be feminists and women's rights activists, need a reality check. If she's misogynistic with herself (pit bull comment and all), then all you sorry excuses for feminists need to take a closer look. Sarah Palin is NO Hillary Clinton. Now that is a real woman to look up to.

I'm an Obama supporter, and I have to say that I think he did it on purpose, to blunt the lipstick on a pit bull meme. Good for him. Let them whine. It wasn't about calling her names, it was just about taking away her applause line. Job accomplished. McCain can't complain effectively because he used the same line 3 times against Hillary. Those guys suck, and to win an election with trivialities the way they're trying to do it is intolerable.

The most wonderful thing that has happened as the right continous down the rovian road is how incredibly presidential our candidate looks. Dear GOD! Instead of taking the bait he looks us square in the eye and says, "I'm sorry, I'm not going that way. I would prefer to stick to the issues that are affecting the citizens of our country."
KEEP IT UP REPUBLICANS! More people showed up at our democratic headquarters yesterday than have been here ALL SUMMER! WOOHOO!!!!

It is saddening and frightening that there are so many real idiots in this Country. Anyone....ANYONE that is supporting Palin in ANY way, shape, or form based on what we have seen of her so far should be sterilized to save the human race from being dumbed down even more.

It isn't that Obama intentionally made an offensive statement. He might have said it in perfect innocence for all we know.

It's that he doesn't THINK before he opens his mouth. The "sweetie" comment got him into exactly the same trouble. It's probably harmless, and he didn't mean anything by it, by for God's sake he should be more careful. Americans expect better of their leaders.

Liberals are such hypocrites.
Let's say, McCain says something like Michelle Obama is a pig with lipstick, compared with Jacquelin Kennedy. They will be all over McCain, don't they?
Now they are fine with Obama's comment, why? Because he is black, he can say whatever he want! hallelujah! Jesus Obama, our saint, yeah!

Wake up folks, it's a one party system. The corporatist parties. If you don't see it... you'll follow the rest of the ignorant americans right off the cliff edge... just as they did in believing that 911 was anything other than an enabling directly from the white house. Wake up, America! You've been had! Freakin pathetic press in this country... and even more moronic fundamentalist religious physchos... like the McPiglits.

I don't know any black people, but if this is what my example is I don't think Obama should spew insults to the white house. I was all for Hillary, but NO WAY will this mean, mean man get my vote come November.

Gee, why doesn't the liberal media and Obama followers hold Obama to the same standards as Sarah Palin. You should put inexperienced and unknown Barak Hussein Obama under the microscope. He is not ready or fit to be president. Obama is a little baby going after a vp pick because he feels threatend. Why doesn't he just blow his nose and give one of his "inspirational" (but empty) speaches. Sorry dems, when I heard the clip of Obama making the "joke" about lipstick on a pig the first image that came to mind was that he was calling Sarah Palin a pig. He also used the smelly fish wrapped in paper to give Alaska a negative image. Obama and his liberal followers are doing all they can to smash the Palin threat. All Palin has to do is let all the liberal lies and bashing run off her back and the dems will lose the election. Got that dems??

John McCain is a sell-out and exposed he is just a typical Republican politician by picking Palin. He picked her to appease his base, poach Hillary votes and stoke a class divide. Palin wasn’t the best or most qualified, it’s because he knew she would be a draw to small town America whom they are duping (Sara Palin ain’t like you, folks).

How is this being a "maverick"? How is it ‘Country First”? How is this “I rather win a war than loose an election”? I’ll say it again, John McCain is a sell-out. Obama said it pretty accurately too - Lipstick on a pig, is still a pig.

The most important metric for picking a VP is they are ready to step in from day one. His judgment is reckless and he gambled at our expense. The mere fact Palin is being educated on foreign policy and is avoiding the press indicates she wasn’t prepared on day one. She is running for the second highest office, but can’t answer questions from the press or public? This doesn’t alarm anyone?

I lost all my respect for John McCain. He's not the hero today he was 35 years ago. McCain is nothing without Palin.

What does it say about a campaign that has to "mimic" what and who Obama is, not to mention hijack Obamas core message of Change from day one just to poach votes? Is that all they view Obama as, a "product" a "formula", a “personality”? It makes McCain look weak and more importantly, the American people stupid if they fall for it.

Now all these puppets are willing to just get behind her without even knowing anything about her and try to convince the American public she is prepared to be VP or President? Not even uncertain objectiveness, caution, pause or question just because she has an "R" in front of her name? How can anyone make a honest, clear determination reasonably in less than 60 days?

Bravo America! We look like complete idiots once again while the world watches. I am truly embarrassed of my country. I guess all isn’t lost, at least many will have Palin’s eye glass frames while our country crumbles economically. We are such tools.

If Obama's wife had used the line "What's the difference between a mom with two daughters (refering to herself) and a pit bull? Lipstick" at the DNC and less than a week later McCain had used the "Lipstick on a Pig" comment, don't you think Obama would be pushing for an apology?

How is it this article on the front page of the Washington Post is titled "Democrats feel gloom"..."Even you"? Reading this it seems most of your readership feels this article is irrelevant and are irritated at the lack of substance...not gloomy. This is pure sensationalism and misrepresentation of your readers opinions.

Right now, looking to the left side of this page, I see 3 articles on Palin and then this one on lipstick. Shame on the Post.

We can all do our part by beginning to only read substantive articles so the press will see the readership going towards real issues. Then, for advertising income and readership totals, they will begin to write more of those articles.

I don't think Obama deliberately referred to Palin with his "lipstick" remark, but I do think the remark subconsciously slipped out. Sure, it's a commmon expression - but things are different now - Palin has definately become associated with the word "lipstick" after her "pitbull with lipstick" remark.

I always knew that the Republicans were the party of the Bullies, but I am amazed at how the Democrats are just taking it as if they were powerless. We need to recognize the type of trailertrash politics that is being spued by the Right and attack them before they even think about striking us. The Republican party has proven to be the party of pedophiles, sex for oil, and now, they've just about convinced the majority of the American public that this governer who's a small unknown town in Alaska has more experience than a US Senator? And, how insulting to watch McCain standing besides Palin and watching her do his dirty job of spewing all this lies, whil he prouly stands back with this nasty smurk in his face? All women should be outraged. Is she not good enough to carry the message of her party on her own? Why does she need her boss breathing down her neck for her to deliver a speech? Give me a break!!!

It isn't that Obama intentionally made an offensive statement. He might have said it in perfect innocence for all we know.

It's that he doesn't THINK before he opens his mouth. The "sweetie" comment got him into exactly the same trouble. It's probably harmless, and he didn't mean anything by it, by for God's sake he should be more careful. Americans expect better of their leaders.

I am very shocked at the way Americans - the most civilised people in the world, in the supposedly strongest country in the world reason. At a time when the Rublicans have brought down almost evert American dignity to its knee, the Americans still see a lot in Mc Cain who preaches war and fear, no economic policy, no healthcare etc. My advice Vote Mc Cain and I promise you the UK will be the stronest Economy of the world in 4 years and America will be finished.

It's amazing to me that you guys in the press talk about how this ridiculous story is being kept around with the help of the press, and that no substantive stuff is being covered. Aren't you guilty of that just by writing this column instead of writing about something of substance?

Interesting. All the third party candidates signed a statement yesterday revealing broad policy agreement among them to balance the federal budget, abolish the Federal Reserve, and bring our soldiers home.

Instead of reporting on this momentous occurrence, the press focuses on lipstick.

Strange how people don''t mind voting for Obama who thinks they are stupid, gun totting, religious clinging white rubes..Guess they don''t care he sat in a racist church, or has associations with unrepentant terrorist like Ayes, the radical Muslim Farrakhan, supports late term abortion, leaving a downs syndrome child to die in a filthy closet like garbage thrown out. Has the worst record of education in his Chicago district. These people think his change won''t cost them a dime. Personally, I gave them more credit. They are following the pied piper to their dismay.

Also, why is Obama at the Twin Towers memorial? It was the likes of his terrorist friends who killed our people! He doesn''t truly believe in the American Flag or Patriotism! He is just grandstanding! The Towers dedication is to real hero''s who sacrificed terribly and some paid the ultimate price. Obama has no business stinking up the place!

Harvard educated lawyers know every word they choose, especially when they are such great speakers. Bravo Obama for slipping in that insult with ease. I think you thought the "trashy" right wouldn't catch the joke. But we did. And now you and the old glue horse Biden and gone. POOF.

As a McCain supporter, I don't think Obama meant a thing by the lipstick comment. I also didn't see McCain make a huge deal out of the comment...he made one brief reference to it. Once again it is the people surrounding (from the outside anyway) the campaigns that make them look stupid. From the 30 or so people showing up supposedly in Alaska to dig up dirt on Palin to the Republicans squealing foul about the pig sporting makeup. THEY do the damage. Shut Up outsiders and let the candidates do their own talking. Novel idea, huh?

To add to my earlier comments, haven't you people ever heard that phrase "lipstick on pig" before? Obama didn't just make it up. Why doesn't the media point that out as an earlier poster did on this very thread.

The right is wrong. They picked Palin to distract us all. If any party added some random Hispanic or African-American Governor to the ticket with the same credentials, surely a bunch of folks would be yelling obscenities about Affirmative Action. Women should be insulted by the Palin pick.

The whole this is a distraction. However if Palin had wanted to make hay with this, she could have put a humorous spin on it . . . "Me and the stylish Miss Piggy" kind of thing rather than wasting time waxing indignant about a perceived slight.

I'd rather have Miss Piggy than a Pit Bull in lipstick. Miss Piggy has taste, charm and fabulous outfits. She's no wimp, either . . . ask Kermit! The sort of Pit Bull the McCain campaign is comparing to its VP nominee is a menacing loose cannon.

How did GOP get a bounce ? By anouncing Sarah Palin as VP pick ? I suppose this instantly make everbody forget (1) Bush and the GOP moved the country into an illegal war (2) Gas prices are approach $4 (3) The credit markets (the backbone of the U.S. economy is in freefall. (4) Bush and the GOP intend to make Americans even more drug addicted on oil.

I can only conclude that the average American is a moron. 57% of Americans are fat and they are now exporting insecurity with their credit problems. Americans overrate themselves and are too arrogant.

The first time I saw McCain I thought he looked like a reanimated corpse. He's totally fake and doesn't even know when it's appropriate to smile. Palin and her whole family of rednecks are probably even more embarrassing than George W. Bush.

Who really cares if Obama sniped at Palin with the Lipstick comment. If she is so tough why is she crying in her pillow over it. Please, enough already and get on with the real issues. My introduction to her at the Republican convention was that of a wise cracking, tough woman from the North, what happened to her? She had no problem taking punches at Obama every other sentence. Toughen up Palin or get over yourself.

Are you Americans blind and deaf?????
I am not an American but have a great deal of respect for your country...that is until I saw you reelected George Bush!!! And now you are thinking about electing John McCain!!! Can't you see that both him and Palin are religious fundamentalists??? The same kind of people you are afraid of from the Middle East? Whoever uses God to win in politics is shameless...

OPEN YOUR EYES!!! I am not saying that Obama is the best thing ever but he is not as bad. I bet all these people don't like him not because you've heard him speak and disagree with him, it is because you believe anything your TV will tell you.

OPEN YOUR EYES!!! Don't you see your country is going down the drain??? Housing market crisis, soaring unemployment, food crisis...everything crisis. All this because of the Bush administration and you are thinking about electing another Republican????

If John McCain wins, things are going to continue the same or worsen and guess what? You'll deserve it!

Dr Dave, you are an idiot. The ONLY reason Palin "stole Obama's limelight" is because intelligent people are still waiting for the punchline to this joke of a choice, while staunch repubs are defending her like she's their mother because they all know what a joke it all is. Yeah, when this Country has to debate and deal with other Countries what do we want...someone that thinks before they speak, or someone that doesn't speak at all until she's trained. I highly doubt that "what exactly is a community leader" will be a good answer when Palin is talking to leaders from other Countries.

ON FOREIGN POLICY
Palin Hasn’t Given The War In Iraq Much Thought. Palin told the Alaska Business Monthly, “I’ve been so focused on state government, I haven’t really focused much on the war in Iraq. I heard on the news about the new deployments, and while I support our president, Condoleezza Rice and the administration, I want to know that we have an exit plan in place.” [Alaska Business Monthly, 3/1/07]

Palin Believes That The Iraq War Is A Task ‘From God.’ Speaking at the Wasilla Assembly of God church in June, Palin said that “our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God.” [Huffington Post, 9/2/08]

Palin Believes The Iraq War Was Fought Over Oil. “We are a nation at war and in many [ways] the reasons for war are fights over energy sources,” Palin told BusinessWeek in an interview. [BusinessWeek, 8/29/08]

ON THE ECONOMY
Palin Said Mortage Giants Are ‘Too Expensive To The Taxpayers.’ Speaking in Colorado Springs, CO, Palin said that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had “gotten too big and too expensive to the taxpayers.” The companies, however, aren’t taxpayer funded. [McClatchy News, 9/6/08]

Palin Left Wasilla $20 Million In Debt. As mayor of Wasilla, Palin cut taxes while simultaneously expanding the town’s operating budget by almost $2 million. She ended her term in 2002 with Wasilla $20 million in debt. [Anchorage Daily News 10/23/06; the Politico, 8/29]

The libs deserve this nonsense. Does anyone remember what they did to Joe Biden about a " clean, articulate" comment about Obama. How about Don Imus and his silly locker room nonsense about the Rutger students. Politically correct is a 2 edge sword and the crybabies can't stand it when it is used against them .Tough tookie.!!!! Go tell your mommy.

Okay, I see among the comments that the right is actually still defending this idiocy.

I saw the entire Obama quote. He was referring to McCain's policies, NOT to any person. This is OBVIOUS to anyone with half a brain. So I guess you people have less than half left.

You talk about the reaction, the fact that the people in the room laughed at it, as PROOF that it was about Palin? Really?

Didn't you notice in the older clip of McCain using the phrase, the crowd reacted with laughter? No? Didn't see it? Look at it again, then. They all laugh, just like the people in Obama's crowd did. At the phrase. Which is funny. Which is why people use it in the first place.

Still wanna link it to Palin? Well then, you're a dishonest person with no ethics or morality to speak of. A scumbag. Is that what you wanted to be when you were little?

Oh, and how about the Sex Ed ad? Talk about a HUGE LIE! Obama wanted to educate kindergarteners about inappropriate touching and strangers, which is a GOOD THING INDEED, and you lowlives had to lie and say it was comprehensive sex ed for kindergarteners! UNBELIEVABLY LOW!

You republican mouthbreathers are the lowest of the low, really and truly.

It sounds like the same type of comment that the wacko in Iran says any time they see a cartoon or a movie comes out that they don't like.
All of a sudden it's "We're insulted" this and "We demand an apology" that.

I guess John DOES play in the international field after all. He's picked up some bad habits.

As a European observer of all these shenanigans I am beginning to be fearful. What feel-good comfort all this nonsense must bring to the steadily growing power of the Kremlin on the world stage. What sort of person's finger is going to end up hovering over that red button in Washington? (remember that? Yes, it's still there!)

Obama is clearly the better man. Once again, the Reoublicans are duped by their narcissism. How many Republicans here are actually intelligent enough to understand what narcissism and projection are? These are the dynamics of the cults of personality.This is why 51 million Americans were duped and spellbound by George "I have ruined the USA" Bush. Everyone is getting excited for nothing. Obama is still in the lead in the polls and his lead will widen and return to where it was before the media created McPalin...the animal killing evangelical hockey mom. Palin knew that having babies after 40 risks down syndrome. McPalin tried to have books banned from the Wasilla library. She is embroiled in scandal and will fall hard. If McSame wins...I say...let him!! Let him inherit the Republicans disaster of the last 8 years. Let McSame inherit the 500 billion deficit, unemployment, health care disaster, and the 9 trillion national debt so deep that the United States now has poor credit in the world. Let the Republicans have it!!! They created it. Good bye America!!! But it won't happen...Obama is still winning...his lead will return to where it was before the Palin cult....sister Sarah will die a hard death once her corruption comes out, and the Dems will win the White House.

It never ceases to amaze me the swine that throw the sty around... And I'm not referring to McCain or Obama. I'm referring to the people who voice this garbage over one candidate or another. How do you expect a "clean" campaign to EVER be run if YOU are throwing the mud as well?

The great thing is is that I've watched the whole video of Obama that included the comment and have NOT see anything related to McCain's group taking it out of context (which means I'm impartial to the situation in the highest degree because I could give a damn less if either of them win). What Obama said, and has been doing quite frequently lately ("he hasn't said anything about my muslim heritage, I mean christian heritage, I mean he hasn't said anything about... [saved by the interviewer]", anyone?), was tasteless. He may be unexperienced as far as a Presidential candidate is concerned; however, he's not an ignorant man. He knew exactly what he was doing. He knew exactly what he was saying. He was trying to be funny and he was trying to take a free stab at the McCain/Palin campaign.

Both sides are equally dirty, so I think being covered in mud and pointing at the other and saying "You're dirty" is a bit rediculous.

Try voting for someone who deserves it and not voting the party lines. Every single person who has posted here throwing mud at eachother and eachother's prospective candidate are sheeple. Go bleet elsewhere.

"Seriously? Uproar from McCain constituents over a comment made and taken out of context when John McCain has a record of making planned jokes about a minor? Recall his 1998 joke about Chelsea Clinton which was written into a speech he was giving:

Back in 1998, he odiously declared before a GOP crowd: "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno."

Heidi, seriously. That "lipstick on a pig" saying is as old as the hills, and has been used by many a politician...including John McCain, when describing Hillary's Clinton's "new" health care plan. He was saying that yeah, Clinton had a health care plan back in 1994 that McCain didn't like, and her "new" version is "lipstick on a pig...but it's still a pig." It means the new plan is dressed up, but still the same plan he views unfavorably.

Similarly, Obama was speaking of John McCain's economic plan, which Obama views as very similar to George W. Bush's economic policies. Obama sees those unfavorably. So out comes McCain with similar ideas, and it's "lipstick on a pig."

This is like English 101. Just because Sarah Palin read some script that included the "lipstick" joke doesn't mean that whenever you hear the word lipstick again, it's referring to her.

Come on. You sound ridiculous. If anything, Palin insulted *herself* by basically characterizing herself (and other "hockey moms") as dogs with lipstick. Stick to the words.

Every morning I get up and spend painstaking hours applying lipstick to my sphincter. I have the most attractive anus in the western hemisphere! And to have him so casually compare my lipstick embellished rump like that is the ultimate insult. He is an expert politician who must be aware of my exotic fetish and was specifically insulting ME by calling my beautiful behind a PIG in LIPSTICK!

What's the difference between a Hockey Mom and a PitBull? or do I mean a Pig. Answer,"Lipstick". Come on people I heard the lipstick on a pig thing in the last election. Obama was talking about McCain pushing old Bush policies and trying to cover it up, which came the saying " you can put lipstick on a Pig but it's still a Pig. That's all that means.

I think McCain and Palin are TRASH for their comments on this, Give me a break. GO BARACK! For questions about Governor Palin that are even more on the forefront of most American's mind Google the "Anne Kilkenny Letter", but make sure you click on the authentic one. This letter was written by longtime Alaskan and homemaker with no political ambitions. Kilkenny makes a point to say "bad things happen when good people remain quiet". The letter has proven to be undisputedly accurate and factual by ABC, MSNBC, and NPR. Kilkenny tells it as she has seen it, as Sarah Palin the Wasilla PTA'er moved up to RNC-VP. It is quite revealing and worthy of passing around to anyone who thinks they know Sarah or acts like they do.

The lipstick on the pig comment was deliberately taken out of context in order to distract from the myriad bad news coming out of Washington: Unemployment, Fannie & Freddie, miniscule troop drawdowns (while at the same time calling up the most Wisconsin National Guard and Reserves since WWII), the Dept. of Interior sex/drugs scandal, etc, etc, etc...

The fact is, the McCain campaign has learned their lessons from, and are incorporating, the tactics of two year old having a hissy-fit: If you're not getting enough attention, scream about anything and everything until everyone in the room is looking at you and trying to calm you down. And the media, who should behave as a disciplined parent who knows when to put the toddler into "Time Out" instead is bending over backwards to appease the brat and his tantrum.

Craig Ferguson, of the Late Late Show said it best about the media: Stop treating this election like TMZ! Do your JOBS!

These polls weighing in on democratic 'opinion' are easily subject to sabotage by imposter polling. Those of us with half a brain know what's going on, and we're not any the more impressed with McCain camp after any of these stunts. Likewise, any counter action that doesn't quickly dismiss nonsense and insist repeatedly that it was taken out of context is equally irresponsible. More focus needs to be at the matters at hand, not trivial BS like this.

Of the two, only Obama seems to convey confidence in providing actual details on policies, though it's likely we won't hear much of this until the bates, yielding any counter action from McCain beforehand. If McCain has any plans of his own, he hasn't really hinted at their angle either. We'll just have to wait and see. Considering that strategy though, expect more off-topic garbage like this to continue to be hurled from both sides (though if trend continues, more from McCain's camp than Obama's).

i see a woman that has been duped into a co-dependent relationship. she is submitting to being gagged from speaking on her own …about herself - for herself.

this dominance is being portrayed for public view as some honorable or galant protectionism. it is neither honorable nor galant. it is demeaning and diminishing.

if john mccain truly respects sarah palin as a powerful woman, he should release her….he should encourage here to go - on her own - to give speeches and answer questions.

instead, john mccain is using sarah palin as a token. she is being set up to be seen as a victim. it is the height of disrespect.

is her purpose to be a martyr for women? to demonstrate that she, like all women, is helpless and intellectually incapable of defending herself? that she requires a “squad” of surrogates to speak for her?

john mccain takes sarah around like a trophy…like chattel to be seen and not heard - unless it is to speak his praise.

If the American public falls for all of this Rove stuff again, they deserve what they get. The Republican party has no intention of actually doing anything of substance except staying in power and continuing policies that put more money in corporations owned by their higher income constituents. The poor blue-collar rupes that they manipulate with guns and babies and jesus (as Rush calls it) have no idea that the real powers in the party are laughing their way to the bank at the gullability of these people. Rove is hoping that there are still enough of these devisive voters out there to carry the day and if there are - they win. Simple.

Keep in mind that Obama and Biden are quite intelligent, much more so than the average bear, pit-bull, or pig. That being said, be patient and wait for the debates, McSwine and Mooseburger will be devoured. OBAMA-BIDEN 2008!!

She is a pig in lipstick. Same old thing dressed up as something new. The way McCain handled it shows them for the pigs they are. That the news didn't call him on it kinda blows the whole "Liberal media" claim away, doesn't it. Hanity\Beck\CNN\Fox??? Yeah, those crazy liberals just cloggin up the airwaves with their left wing propaganda!!!
Could they be more on one side??

I actually used to have respect for McCain. I thought he was a stand up guy. After yesterday I have no respect left for him. yesterday was not the action of a hero. It was desperate and petty. Childish. It's not Presidential. The old McCain wouldn't do that kind of crap.

The "ado" has nothing to do with lipstick - it has to do with the continual pass the media gives this misogynistic pig. He did it with Hillary and the media and the democratic leadership did nothing. He is not going to do it to Sarah and get the same response.

Imagine if there were even veiled references to his ancestors on his father side; i.e. swinging from trees, living in huts, or anything else that denigrates him the way he has openly dome each of these women. The media would not shut their big mouths for a second.

Even that slime Katie Couric has joined the band wagon now because Sarah is a Republican. When it was Hillary made some lame *ss reference to sexism but that was it. Now CBS has threatened legal action for using that quote. Yeah liberals care about women alright – but only as long as they go braless and drop their pants on a whim.

"What happens the first time the President of Iran says something that they don't like? North Korea? China? It's not like the rest of the world doesn't say "unkind" things about the U.S. and our leaders on a pretty regular basis. Personally, I think I'd prefer someone in charge who isn't going to fly off the handle and make a big fuss at every perceived slight!"

Heck, that's an easy one...if someone says anything to VP Palin all of the men in McCain's army will stand up for her honor by blasting them to smithereens.....just think, our next international war may be over someone calling Palin a Pig in Lipstick.

The true John McCain came out when he said Obama insulted Palin with the lipstick on a pig comment. If you listen to Obama one could clearly see that he was giving a lengthy explanation about McCain's policies and then said you could put lipstick on a pig. There was no reference to Palin. But McCain the old dirty guy he is decided to tell Palin that Obama called her a pig. Palin took it like somebody inserted something in the wrong hole. McCain's philosophy is whatever Obama says try to make it as something against women. That way he will get the women votes. It is working, and McCain is going to win this election. They will finally blame Obama's passing Hillary as the main reason for Obama's lose.

Keep it up now----keep talking about utter bs that is meaningless. Ron Paul was right when he said yesterday that there isn't a dimes worth of difference between the two parties---vote 3rd party and change politics in this country. 3rd party won't win but McBama won't have a 'mandate' either and we'll get real change for the future.

Who are we kiddin? Obama is a control freak and measures every word he says. That's why he hems & haws during every interview. Let's face it. Palin stole his thunder and hogged his celebrity limelight. That's why he's calling her a pig. Does he owe her an apology? Absolutely not. She should feel good he's feelin so frustrated.

The American public is sliding quickly to a depression and you are gonna cry because maybe obama called palin a pig...

your gonna cry over this
Come on are you kidding me...

Wanna cry over something go to the gas pump
what has Mccain done to fix this.... and palin is part of the problem if you beleive your own rhetoric.... This chick increased the taxes on oil companies which your side said would just make things worse...

You are gonna cry over lipstick and pigs when 4100 american soldiers have been killed in Iraq for dubious reasons and McCain want it to last for 100 years

What a bunch of babies... grow some stone people... This is politics...
If your are not tough enough to take it maybe you should go take care of your pre-married prego daughter and pray to god...
I had this idea that republican and expecially maverics were tough, but your crying over this???

GIVE ME A BREAK, why are you so afraid to talk about the real problems in America, and your real solutions.... OHHHH I know because if you did they would be just like bush's the worst president in history...

I think the cult of the republican party needs to quit drinking the cool-aid.

Also If you are gonna vote for McCain. Then you need to vote to through out every incumbant for the bums they are....I mean help him change the culture of washington.

All of this lipstick posturing is irrelevant. But, as I noted last night while browsing the news networks there was a constant banter about the lipstick thing. What a bunch of bobble heads! Is this real reporting or am I unaware of the new school of journalism that bases itself on National Enquirer training. It also looks like the media reporting on the candidates is always panting for the next "rope a dope" media moment that will allow more bobble-time. Are the American people really that shallow that we need this type of voyeuristic coverage to help us look at candidates? I don't know anymore but I think I will start paying more attention to the advertisers of these programs and write them about how much their company is being associated with irrelevant banter. What a waste of money and time! I refuse to spend time with media networks that continue to do this baited reporting.

Either Obama thought he was clever or he is extremely stupid. I can imagine his thought process. Ill call her a pig, but out of context, so they cant say I was calling her a pig. After the Palin joke no clear thinking person wouldn't associate ANY mention of lipstick to Palin.

McCain using the same phrase is moot, he used it before the context of the Palin joke.

Well this thing about the lipstick is, of course, feigned indignation and from the prior comments it appears even the right knows it. The more substantial issue underlying this is that there are, supposedly, women who declare they will vote for Palin after having voted for Clinton. Now there's a real issues oriented voter. Go from supporting someone who tends to be fairly strongly left to someone who is far right. It doesn't engender confidence in the logic of one's thinking.

The lipstick comment wasn't "technically" about Palin, and the "presidents on dollar bills" comment wasn't "technically" about race. He's very clever about clearly delivering the message, while leaving a back door to say "you took that the wrong way". What a decietful phony.

The allegations againsty Obama is tasteless, unprincipled, and a blatant LIE!!! It is so disgusting to see leaders in the Republican party render full support to this mud smearing tactics used by th McCain . They should be ashamed of themselves. Whether or not you support the Democreats or Republicans all decent minded persons should condemn this act portrayed by the McCain campaign. This is to be the Party that supposedly represents christians and sinks to such low and depths to gain political mileage. What a shame!!!!

I am a Canadian who avidly follows American politics and developments south of the border partly because I am a guest of the USA during the winter. I can't tune into the news these days without becoming sad and angry. I've watched the Obama "lipstick" clip many times. This was not a gaffe but an often used quip taken totally out of context. I see lies and distortions that would have grounded me for weeks in my younger days. Eight years of Bush and we seem to be lining up for more. Perhaps as a non-American I don't have the right to be angry. But I do feel sad.

washington post has sunk to new low by blatantly supporting Obama on lipstick issue. It's a legitimate question to ask, if Obama is using lipstick joke to snipe at Palin.
But you guys say, no, don't ask questions, don't you ever question Obama's integrity. Obama is such a saint and he couldn't possibly make mistakes.

Well, with the houseing market in shambles, predatory lenders building an ever increaseing debt bomb, the national debt running up billions every month, record high illiteracy rates in the country, the nation at war in two countries and threatening Russia and Pakistan, we had better be talking about the issues and avoiding gutter politics. At first I thought the Obama-McCain nominations were a win-win. Now McCain has proven he is nothing but business (or Bushness) as usual. Shame of you John McCain for selling your soul.

Corkysnif writes: "If we bash Biden they might realize their major gaff and replace him with Hillary, like Obama should have done. I was GOING to write in Hillary. But, now it's Sarah all the way baby!! We've come a long way–and it was the republican party to push women's rights!!"

EXACTLY THE POINT of the article...."bashing the next person" is the ONLY platform the Repubs have!!!!! God forbid you ever hear a Palin-booster say "just wait til they all have to giove solid answers on the issues....no, it is alwaya bout who can outbash who with the repubs. sickening. Oh, by the way corksnif....women's rights???? LOL, are you really that dumb? Ask Palin what rights she wants a raped 13 year old "woman" to have regarding her pregnancy. Heard it said many times....Palin will have the dumb vote...and that may put her over.

Here's a question that I haven't heard anyone asking, but perhaps they should be. Instead of arguing about whether or not Palin and McCain should or should not be offended, why don't we just take them at their word and accept that they truly are. If so, then the question becomes "Do we really want people who are that personally sensitive and reactionary in charge of our diplomacy and military capabilities?" What happens the first time the President of Iran says something that they don't like? North Korea? China? It's not like the rest of the world doesn't say "unkind" things about the U.S. and our leaders on a pretty regular basis. Personally, I think I'd prefer someone in charge who isn't going to fly off the handle and make a big fuss at every perceived slight!

McCain and Palin should apologize to the American people for misrepresenting the following facts: (1) The truth is that Palin was only against Alaska's "bridge to nowhere" after the US congress killed its funding. Palin still took $223 million US taxpayers dollars that congress had appropriated for the bridge instead of giving it back. (2) Palin didn't sell the previous governor's jet on ebay for a profit as John McCain claimed. She sold it through an aircraft broker and the state lost money on it.

All of this fighting about lipstick is to deflect questions about Palin until the time that the press can then focus on her softball interview strung out over five days. They will do this over and over with attacks, outrageous ads, etc.

Meanwhile, the press will fail to focus on the issues and the American people will again be fooled into re-electing the GOP into the presidency by all of this. That's what the McCain camp hopes anyway.

Seriously? Uproar from McCain constituents over a comment made and taken out of context when John McCain has a record of making planned jokes about a minor? Recall his 1998 joke about Chelsea Clinton which was written into a speech he was giving:

Back in 1998, he odiously declared before a GOP crowd: "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno."

Feaver's analysis that Obama's comment was taken "totally out of context" is false. Why? Because the CONTEXT is not merely the words Obama was saying, but the live response of his audience. CONTEXT is bigger than just the immediate words you use; it includes the messenger, the message, the audience, their reaction, and beyond.

While I can believe that Obama did not intend to make the connection between Palin's lipstick comment and his pig-and-lipstick comment, it is blatantly clear that his audience immediately made that connection. Obama is smart enough to have caught on to how they were taking his words. By letting their response go without correction, Obama participated in changing his original thought to a slam against Palin. Personally, I do not think that can be disputed honestly or with intellectual integrity.

Poor thing - I'm surprised a bit bull would be all offended by a supposed insult. It makes one wonder how she would handle the likes of Putin, if McCain got in there and keeled over (God forbid!). But the Sarah show goes on, hurt feelings and all, with The Washington Post doing their part to help her along. Makes me wonder, is Joe Biden campaigning on Mars? We get nothing from The Washington Post about him. Is he still around? I know the front page is now reserved for John and Sarah, but could you put something in, say, page A22, about Joe?
Also, a warning, if you vote for McCain you might just be getting a pig in a poke. Just a thought...

Whats good for the goose is not good for the gander. McCain himself has used the expression now all of a sudden it's off limits because his Puppet Palin made a lipstick reference in her speech? Lets get back to the real ting that needs media coverage . . . The Issues

Enough with the silly stuff already. I don't give a darn about lipstick, pigs, or barracudas! I'm getting to the point where I cringe picking up a paper, watching a "news" cast or visiting any website with "news"! The media needs to get its act together and stop harping on these kindergarten, name-calling tactics and call both of these guys to the carpet on real issues e.g. Iraq and the economy. Forget the lass from Alaska already! Geesh.

If McCain had made a remark that alluded to Obama's race, would you then also have said it was taken out context? When you talk about a pig with lipstick,and the context is a woman, the message is loud and clear.

washington post has sunk to new low by blatantly supporting Obama on lipstick issue. It's a legitimate question to ask, if Obama is using lipstick joke to snipe at Palin.
But you guys say, no, don't ask questions, don't you ever question Obama's integrity. Obama is such a saint and he couldn't possibly make mistakes.

"the presidential campaign took on a new low of irrelevance with Republicans scoring points (and the media helping) by taking totally out of context a comment by Democratic nominee Barack Obama."

People can decide on their own (without Media's help) what Obama was trying to do here. Obama's chose to use the lipstick on pig phrase after Palin was lauded for her lipstick comment and what is disgusting is that Obama's supporters cheered him for it. They all laughed and clapped.

Political speeches are carefully designed they are not off the cuff. The lipstick comments by Obama were a direct jab at Gov. Palin, the public is to smart to let him get away with it. He was caught, now he blames everyone but himself for what came out of his mouth.

washington post has sunk to new low by blatantly supporting Obama on lipstick issue. It's a legitimate question to ask, if Obama is using lipstick joke to snipe at Palin.
But you guys say, no, don't ask questions, don't you ever question Obama's integrity. Obama is such a saint and he couldn't possibly make mistakes.

He pushes a subversive sexist agenda in a way where he can still do that Obama thing of throwing hands up in the air and innocently protesting, "Who me?" He did the same thing with "sweetie-gate" and more

Anyone who can't look at that lipstick video and see it was deliberate, body language, uncharacteristic nervous pause, audience reaction, IS AN IDIOT. His team knew exactly what they're doing, but it backfired.

They are freaking out because Obama is tanking and are resorting desperate acts.

Obama painted himself the good guy so he can't come straight out and attack. He has to be underhanded like this, and try to plant negative images in people's minds.

It was the timing of the lipstick remark that showed Obama's lack of class. I understand McCain had a similar oppertunity with "Sending another Democrat to Washington to fix the problem was like sending a monkey to the store to by bananas" but he withdrew it.

Who are these voters who look back over the wreckage of the Bush administration and say to themselves, "You know? War, torture, Katrina response, recession, children left behind, no-WMDs, still-Osama.... all that is unimportant compared with having Palin as a vice-president. I used to be disgusted with the Republicans but now I think they should be given another 4 years."

I wont fall for another 4 years of BS liers in the White House, they fooled us when they stole the election in 2000, the fooled us with the scare tactics in 2004, now they are trying to fool us with that Palin lady, like they really care about her view, she will just be another VP that seats there and looks pretty while the Presidents sends this country farther down.

How shallow of the Republicans to play up the lipstick on the pig statement. This has Rove all over it. We have so many pressing issues... grow up and get with the issues. Wake up America...don't fall for this type of distraction - our country can't afford it.

Obama is starting to look really good these days. I am over McCain Palin, they have nothing constructive and only repeat the same crap over and over again. Palin is just mad that she cant tell her pitbull joke anymore. Scratch that off the list of catch phrases.

Evidence that Obama was directing his lipstick remark directly at Palin is substaniated by 1) Palin's comment less than one week prior and 2) the reaction of his supporters around him when he voiced it.

Here it is, the second week of September and despite a Congressional Budget Office report saying the United States deficit is projected to rise to $407 billion, along with a continued rash of failing financial institutions, the nightmare of misled war in Iraq, a mere treading of water in the land of the Taliban, Afghanistan, despite the fact that 50 million un-insured, a disappearing middle class, the headlines are filled with talk of pitbulls, swine and lipstick, as if some sort of Animal Farm like fever had stolen the meat from the potato's of reality that politics is meant to address. http://www.politicalcortex.com/story/2008/9/10/20347/3225

...guys, guys, can we just keep the lid on the Biden choice. Let's keep pretending that Obama made his first decision in his entire career and it was a "brilliant" one. If we bash Biden they might realize their major gaff and replace him with Hillary, like Obama should have done. I was GOING to write in Hillary. But, now it's Sarah all the way baby!! We've come a long way–and it was the republican party to push women's rights!! Three cheers! Palin/McCain08

If I see one more article using "lipstick" in the title, I'm going to puke. The media are getting to be real pricks with their sensationalizing every little gaffe. Kinda like the grammar school kid who used to instigate fights between two OTHER kids.

Very intelligent and informative interview last night on the David Letterman Show!

I can't understand how so many people have become so excited about Sarah Palin while she has questionable national experience and represents a far right (ultra-conservative) policy approach. How can this be change?

I do believe that Obama represents "real change" and would be a Kennedy/Clinton type

I just think that it is funny that the Republican candidates are running on a platform that says there as far away from Republicans as they can be, they say they are mavericks! I always thought that a Republican maverick was a Democrat!!

Chicago politics is the toughest political environment on earth.Obama beat that system.Just wait the punch is coming but he times them.Watch tonight at the Columbia University Forum on community service, he will nail McSame there.

It was another rookie mistake for Obama to make. Hearing the howls from his own audience, his supporters, the moment the words left his lips made it clear that the misinterpretation was not just a Republican ploy. Even if this was not the way he intended it, someone who controls his words so well should have known better. I shudder to think how he'll conduct negotiations "without preconditions". "Without preparation" seems likely.

I LOVE how when the right turns slimy tactics usually reserved for left back on them they get all introspective and try to direct us "back to the issues at hand." Go back to Harvard and you'll see they don't teach street fighting there. McCain/Palin 08

I don't see why all the left-wingers are attacking McCain for simply expressing outrage at the comment. McCain is correct in doing so. When you see the unedited clip of Obama saying what he said, his pause --- waiting for the crowd to catch his joke --- it is clear that his double-entendre about lipstick was intentional. And then he pretends it was innocent...typical democrat, trying to make it look innocent. And why attack Palin as though she's the top of the ticket? Idle Biden is dead weight......where's his substance? Palin has better experience than Obama does, and she's the veep!

You are simply wrong Doug. The DNC chose to play off of the "lipstick" theme since Palin's speech and because of that, what may in fact have been innocent, nailed Obama. Just like he gave Hillary the finger, some tried to come to his rescue but we have become much more wise to the true colors of the Messiah. He's bitter and he doesn't have guns or religion (since he is confused over whether he is Muslim or Christian) to cling to.

Glad to see people are realizing this useless attention over this lipstick comment. Now even better would be to realize the campaigns have not adressed any relevant or important issues. If I want lipstick drama I can watch CW's ANTM.